Algeria to hold presidential election

Five candidates will run in Algeria's presidential election on Dec 12, including two former prime ministers, amid mass protests rejecting the vote, the head of the election authority said.

Authorities have repeatedly said the Dec 12 vote would be the only way to get out of a crisis Algeria has been facing since the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April under pressure from protesters.

The army is now the main player in Algeria's politics, and its chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah has vowed transparency and fairness for the vote.