Ally says Algeria's Bouteflika recovering, will make reforms

[World News]

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By Patrick Markey and Lamine Chikhi ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is recovering steadily from a stroke last year, talks with his team every day, and is healthy enough to govern after the election on April 17, his chief ally said on Saturday. Bouteflika, a 77-year-old veteran of Algeria's independence war, has no serious rivals for re-election in Thursday's ballot, but he has not campaigned himself and has only rarely spoken in public since his illness. Questions about Bouteflika's health and Algeria's stability are key for Western governments, who see the North African state as a partner in the campaign against Islamist militancy in the Maghreb, and a stable supplier of gas for Europe. Abdelmalek Sellal, who resigned as prime minister to campaign for Bouteflika, said the president planned constitutional reforms to strengthen democracy, with term limits for the president and wider powers for opposition parties if he wins.

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