Laporta is battling Victor Font in this month's presidential race.
Bartomeu told EFE: "The time has come to stage a change of leadership at the club and make way for younger people with new ideas."
Bartomeu believes that the era of the 2003 generation, of which he is a member along with Sandro Rosell and Laporta, is over.
He added, "Sometimes it's necessary to clean house, open the windows, and let in new generations with new ideas."
Bartomeu is particularly critical of Laporta's failure to keep hold of Lionel Messi.
He said, "The most painful decision was his departure.
"It's very sad to have to say goodbye to the best player in history, who still had a lot of football left in him with us and who would have coincided, moreover, with this generation of young players from La Masia that is so successful we have now."