'I ask your forgiveness for any failing toward you'
Ailing Bouteflika apologises to Algerians
Former Algerian President asks Algerians for forgiveness, urges them to stay united in farewell letter.
Thursday 04/04/2019
'I ask your forgiveness for any failing toward you'
ALGIERS - Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Wednesday offered his "apologies" to the Algerian people in a letter published by state media, after he resigned as president in the face of huge protests.
"I leave the political stage without sadness or fear for the future of our country," Bouteflika said in the letter released by the APS news agency, urging Algerians "to stay united, never divide yourselves."
The 82-year-old stepped down Tuesday night under pressure from protesters and the army.
He acknowledged that some of his actions as president were less than successful, writing: "I ask your forgiveness for any failing toward you."
Bouteflika says he hopes Algeria's new leaders take the oil rich nation in north Africa to "horizons of progress and prosperity."
He says women and young people, who led the protest movement that pressured him out of office, are "the beating heart of our nation" and deserve special attention.