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ALGIERS, Dec. 15-- Experts believe that the newly-elected Algerian president is facing complex political and economic challenges. Former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune was recently elected Algerian president, following months of public protests that ousted former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April. "In light of the continuing public protests, the new president will certainly try to call up the opposition for dialogue," said Noureddine Bekkis, professor of political sociology with the University of Algiers. He predicted that the opposition would avoid dealing with the new president until they have a clear vision about the development of the current situation "Also, we don't know yet about the intentions and orientations of the new president. Let's wait and see," he added. The newly-elected president vowed to open frank dialogue with different components of the protests. Mohamed Amroune, a political analyst, said, "Tebboune seems to be the right man for this delicate period at least for the upcoming five years, given that he has already served as minister and prime minister, which makes him familiar with the complex and urgent problems facing the country." Tebboune, 74, entered the government in 1991 as he was appointed minister-delegate for local government, while the last post he occupied was the prime minister in 2017. Tebboune has inherited a tough economic situation from his predecessor, as the country's foreign reserves has dropped to around 35 billion U.S. dollars following the slump of oil prices in the global market in recent years. | 
