ALGIERS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian Constitutional Council on Sunday announced that it has received two candidate bids for the presidential elections scheduled for July 4, APS news agency reported.
The council said that it received the files of two applicants before the legal deadline set for Saturday midnight.
The two candidates are Abdelhakim Hammadi, a doctor specializing in pharmaceutical industry, and Hamid Touahri, a retired aircraft maintenance engineer.
For now, the council will examine the two applications within 10 days for their validity.
According to law expert Amer Rekhila, the Constitutional Council will resort to Article 103, in case no candidate is eligible.
Article 103 of the Constitution stipulates that the elections will be delayed for a maximum of 60 days if they met serious obstacles.
Incumbent Interim President Abdelkader Bensalah will remain in office until a new elected president is sworn in.
Algeria has seen widespread protest since Feb. 22, which forced former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign on April 2, and led to the cancellation of the presidential election initially scheduled for April 18.
For now, the demonstrators expressed their rejection to the presidential election which was delayed to July 4.
They want solid guarantees for free and fair election after a short-term transition period led by "honest and clean" figures.
