Algeria's president has announced he will seek re-election in the April presidential poll. The leader has invited international observers to monitor the voting.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his bid for a second five-year term. The leader was widely expected to seek re-election and has been unofficially campaigning across the country for the past several weeks.
Critics have accused Mr. Bouteflika of electoral fraud, including unfairly dominating state media during his last campaign. All six of his opponents quit the election race the day before the vote in 1999.
Several other candidates have announced plans to run, including Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, who has wide support among Islamic voters in Algeria, and Louisa Hanoun, the leader of Algeria's Worker's Party and the first woman to run for presidential office in the history of the country.