The lawyers gathered in front of the building that houses the country's Constitutional Council, responsible for approving presidential candidates, and sent several representatives inside to hand over a statement on the part of the protesters, El Khabar newspaper reported.
Sky News Arabia reported, citing the head of the local branch of the lawyers' labour union, who was among those sent to deliver the document, that the Constitutional Council refused to accept the statement.
READ MORE: Algeria's Bouteflika Warns of 'Chaos' as Protests Challenge His Re-Election Bid
#Algeria's 🇩🇿 lawyers, like all protesters, didnt only break the wall of fear, but even crossed the security checkpoints into the Constitutional Council to protest #Bouteflika’s 5th bid, demanding respect to the constitution#لا_العهدة_الخامسة#حراك_8_مارسhttps://t.co/er4lMMAqQn pic.twitter.com/IQb8OnBz1o
— SaadAbedine (@SaadAbedine) March 7, 2019
Despite reports about Bouteflika's seriously deteriorated health and ongoing mass protests across the country, the president's supporters say that he will nonetheless run in the election scheduled for April 18. Bouteflika, however, said in a written statement that he would call early presidential vote if re-elected and promised that he would not run in it.
Lol! A sign from Algerian protests
— Asma (@LibyanBentBladi) March 7, 2019
It reads “I want him like Bouteflika, the more I ask him to leave, the more he gets attached” pic.twitter.com/4b7eBb8WmI
READ MORE: Army Chief Vows to Prevent Algeria From Returning to Bloodshed Era — Reports
After suffering a stroke in 2013 and becoming confined to a wheelchair, the president barely speaks and has made very few public appearances.
