Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sacked his campaign manager on Saturday, state media reported, following mass protests against the ailing leader’s decision to stand for a fifth term in office.

Former premier Abdelmalek Sellal was replaced as campaign manager by Abdelghani Zaalene, the transport minister, APS news agency said, citing Bouteflika’s campaign team, without giving a reason.

The development comes a day after tens of thousands of Algerians protested the prospect of another term for the 81-year-old leader. Opponents say the president, who suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been seen in public only a few times since, is no longer fit for the job.

Bouteflika, a veteran of Algeria’s 1954-1962 independence war against France who has been in power since 1999, has not directly addressed the protests or formally confirmed he will stand, although representatives have indicated he will do so.

The authorities said last week he would travel to Geneva for unspecified medical checks, although there was no official confirmation he had travelled.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)