Friday 30 .. Demonstrations in Algeria raise the slogan "No elections with the gang"

Demonstrations renewed in several Algerian cities on Friday, the 30th consecutive popular movement in the country for more than six months, calling for the departure of the remnants of the regime of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Friday's demonstrations, in which thousands took part, coincided with the authorities starting to prepare for the presidential elections before the end of this year.

The protesters demanded the departure of the rest of the ruling elite, and the release of Karim Tabu, a prominent dissident detained since Wednesday on charges of "contributing to weaken the morale of the army."

The army, the country's most powerful institution, wants to hold presidential elections as soon as possible to break the deadlock between protesters and authorities.

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ahmad Qaid Saleh called for holding presidential elections before the end of the year "because the situation cannot be delayed."

The parliament in both chambers (the National People's Assembly and the National Assembly) approved on Thursday and Friday a draft law establishing a higher election commission for the first time in the country's history, along with amendments to the election law in preparation for the presidential ballot.

Most of these amendments are contained in the report of the mediation and dialogue, which I submitted a few days ago to the interim President Abdelkader Bensalah, after weeks of consultations with a part of the political class after opposition parties refused to meet them on the grounds that they focused on the election file without going into the crisis.

Protesters waved banners, some bearing the words "No elections as long as the gang governs the country" in reference to the interim president, and Prime Minister Noureddine Badawi is expected to resign soon. Another banner demanded the release of Tabu.

Authorities have detained dozens of Bouteflika's allies, including two former prime ministers, two former intelligence chiefs, and influential ministers and businessmen, on corruption charges. But protesters are calling for greater measures to topple the old regime.

Most secular parties and organizations call for the abolition of the constitution and the election of a constituent assembly to lead the transition.

The other movement and politicians support the efforts of the dialogue committee to organize elections as soon as possible.

A third stream is pushing for the departure of all symbols of Bouteflika, such as the interim president and prime minister, and the appointment of consensual figures before any elections.

The military leadership has rejected, on more than one occasion, the proposal for the transition, and announced its support for the dialogue and mediation team, which is trying to overcome the crisis, in the hope of holding presidential elections soon without preconditions such as the departure of the government.