President Sworn In After Disputed Vote

Abdelaziz Bouteflika was sworn in as Algeria’s new president, despite the protests of six rival candidates who withdrew from the election because of alleged voting fraud. Bouteflika, 63, promised to focus on ending Algeria’s 7-year-old Islamic insurgency, which has left 75,000 people dead and led to international isolation. In a ceremony at the seaside Palais des Nations west of the capital, Algiers, Bouteflika also promised to fight corruption and work to develop the economy. “The priority of priorities is the return of civil peace, which conditions all the rest,” Bouteflika said. Bouteflika, the first civilian president since 1965, succeeds Liamine Zeroual, a retired general.