The Abdelaziz Bouteflika reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Helping orphans the way you would do it
'Abd al-'Aziz Abu Tifliqa (Arabic)
Abdelaziz Bouteflika (English)
Image:Aaba.jpg
Became President:April 27, 1999
Predecessor:Liamine Zéroual
Date of Birth:March 2, 1937
Place of Birth:Oujda

Abdelaziz Bouteflika (عبجد العزيز بوتفليقة) (born March 2, 1937) is the president of Algeria (since 1999).

He was a leader in the Algerian War of Independence, and became a Minister of independent Algeria in 1962. The next year he was made foreign minister, and a member of the legislative assembly. He resigned as foreign minister in 1979.

From 1981 to 1987 he was in exile due to allegations of corruption, but returned after the case was dropped. He signed a protest against alleged government brutality in 1988, and stepped out of the limelight.

In 1999 he ran for president and was elected with 74%. No other candidates stood. He is a member of the National Rally for Democracy party.

On April 8, 2004, he was re-elected by 85% of the vote.