ALGIERS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's higher independent commission for surveillance of elections said on Sunday that respect for the voting time is a top guarantee for democracy.

The call for the electorate to cast their votes in the presidential election clearly indicated that Algeria pursues one of the most important international criteria for good governance, Abdulwahab Dirbal, chief of the commission, told the national radio.

A day earlier, Ali Ghediri, a former personnel director in defense ministry, announced that he would run for president in the election scheduled for April 18.

Ghediri, 64, is the first to announce candidacy against 81-year-old incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who has been in power since 1999.

According to the law, presidential candidates have to register with the constitutional court before March 4.

Uncertainty over whether Bouteflika will stand for re-election has gripped Algerian politics for months.