Algiers, Paris - Both houses of the Algerian parliament convened on Wednesday to vote on a constitutional amendment allowing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to serve a third term.

The five amendments up for vote - which would also severely limit the powers of the prime minister - must receive the support of at least three quarters of the 525 lawmakers sitting in both houses of the parliament.

If the amendment on presidential terms is passed, as is virtually certain, the 71-year-old Bouteflika could take up his third five-year term in the spring of 2009.

His re-election is considered as certain by political analysts, since the opposition is disorganized and there are no candidates to seriously challenge him.

Algeria's Constitutional Council approved the amendments last week, ruling that they did not affect the institutional balance of powers or impair the civil rights of the country's citizens.

However, a number of opposition politicians and media have spoken out against the changes, calling them anti-democratic and authoritarian.

In an editorial, the daily al-Watan wrote on Wednesday, "In their crushing majority, the deputies will bury one of the great achievements of the Algerian constitution: the changeover of political power..."

"In joining the handful of states, notably Arab, in the world that have constitutionalized lifelong presidencies and consolidated personal and hereditary powers, Algeria is taking a large step backwards."

Observers have also cited Bouteflika's fragile state of health and suggested that he may not serve out a third term. After Bouteflika was treated in France for an undetermined ailment last year, it was uncertain whether he would even complete his second term.

Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and his government are expected to resign after the amendments are passed later on Wednesday. (dpa)