Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the President of Algeria. Bouteflika assumed office on April 27, 1999. He is a member of the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) party that he joined at the age of 19.http://www.medea.be/index.html?page=2&lang=en&doc=37

Abdelaziz Bouteflika was born in Oujda,Morocco, on March 2, 1937. He joined the National Liberation Army in 1956 at the age of 19, where he fought against the French. When Algeria gained its independence in 1962, he aligned himself with Boumedienne. He is married to Amal Triki.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelaziz_Bouteflika In the 1980s, Bouteflika spent several years under a self-imposed exile, to avoid being prosecuted for corruption charges that were later dropped.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/790556.stm

1956: National Liberation Armyhttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1962: Deputy of Tlemcen in the Constituent Assemble and Minister for Youth and Sports in the government of Ahmed Ben Bellahttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1963-1978: Appointed Minister for Foreign Affairshttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1979: Expected to be made president, but the Army chose Chadi Bendjedidl; instead became Minister of Statehttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1974-1975: President of the 29th UN General Assemblyhttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1981: Left the political arena (after being pushed out of prominence)http://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1983: Left the country, staying in the UAE, France and Switzerlandhttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

1989: Returned to Algeria, and joined the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front (FLN)http://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

January 1994: Refused to accept the Army's proposal to succeed assassinated President Mohamed Boudiafhttp://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

April 1999: Ran for president, winning with 74% of the vote http://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

April 2004: Re-elected, winning with 83.49% of the vote http://www.silobreaker.com/biography-for-abdelaziz-bouteflika-5_2256893875769573376_4

One of the things Bouteflika is noted for is having contributed to the normalizing the ties between the Algerian military and the president. He made some attempts to improve foreign relations, especially with Algeria's neighbors. He is thought by Algerians to have brought an end to the 10 year civil war. After his second election he declared that he was going to amend the Constitution, reorganize the different parties into two poles. He also announce that the private press was going to come under his control.

Bouteflika began his restoration plans in 2005. In September of that year, he adopted measures that would provide reparations for families who had members of their families still missing, as well as amnesty for members of the armed services who were not guilty of performing atrocities. He also was responsible for creating a program that would give aid to widows and orphans of soldiers. He modified the Constitution on November 12, 2008, to remove the restriction on serving two consecutive presidential terms. Not long after the change of the Constitution, President Bouteflika announced that he would be running for his third consecutive presidential term.http://www.medea.be/index.html?page=2&lang=en&doc=377