Algeria's president has visited the construction site of the future Great Mosque in Algiers, in a rare public appearance of the 81-year-old ailing leader.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been debilitated by a stroke for years, appeared in television footage in a wheelchair Tuesday.
After praying at a mosque belonging to a religious brotherhood outside the capital, Bouteflika visited the gigantic construction site of the Great Mosque.
The presidential project has been criticized for its cost of more than $1.6 billion, considered excessive for the North African country.
Algeria's FLN governing party is urging Bouteflika to seek a fifth term in next year's presidential election despite his frail health and growing doubts about his ability to lead the oil-and-gas-rich country, the largest in Africa.
Algeria's Ailing Leader Makes Rare Public Appearance
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in a wheel chair arrives to attend the official inauguration of the Algiers' subway, April 9, 2018.
ALGIERS, ALGERIA —