Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned after weeks of mass protests.
The BBC said in a report that Mr. Bouteflika who had been in power for 20 years, had already dropped plans to seek a fifth term as opposition to his rule grew.
The powerful Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties.
He suffered a stroke six years ago and has rarely appeared in public since.
Leaders of the protests had rejected Mr. Bouteflika’s offer to go by the end of his current term – 28 April – as not enough.
The demonstrations have also led to calls for the whole political system, in which the military plays a significant role, to be overhauled.
The governing National Liberation Front (FLN), which postponed elections, had vowed to organise a national conference on reforms.