Algeria's parliament has lifted presidential term limits, paving the way for incumbent Abdelaziz Bouteflika to stay in office beyond next year.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly for the constitutional amendment Wednesday, with only a minority opposition raising concerns the change undermines the democratic process.
The opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy party has compared the move to a coup. But the party is greatly outnumbered in parliament by a coalition that supports Mr. Bouteflika.
The president has not publicly said whether he intends to run in an election set for early next year. He is in his second, and, what was before the vote, his final term.
Mr. Bouteflika is credited with bringing a measure of stability to the OPEC member nation, which was torn apart by an Islamist insurgency during the 1990s.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
