Algerian President Tebboune secures re-election amid low turnout and allegations of irregularities
- In Reports
- 12:44 PM, Sep 09, 2024
- Myind Staff
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing a landslide victory in an election marked by low voter turnout and accusations of irregularities. The independent election authority announced on Sunday that Tebboune received 94.7% of the votes cast on Saturday, far outpacing his rivals. His closest contender, Islamist candidate Abdelali Hassani Cherif, secured 3.2%, while socialist Youcef Aouchiche garnered 2.2%.
Despite the large margin of victory, only 5.6 million out of approximately 24 million eligible voters participated in the election, resulting in a turnout of just 23%. This marks a significant drop compared to the 39.9% turnout in the 2019 presidential election. The low voter participation has prompted criticism from activists and international organisations like Amnesty International, which condemned the "repressive atmosphere" surrounding the election campaign.
Cherif’s Movement of Society for Peace pointed to several alleged irregularities during the voting process, including the failure to provide vote-sorting records to candidates' representatives and cases of group proxy voting. His campaign manager, Ahmed Sadok, expressed frustration, stating, "It's a shame. It's an attack on the image of Algeria, which will become the laughing stock of nations." Meanwhile, Aouchiche’s campaign has yet to comment on the results.
Tebboune’s re-election comes five years after the pro-democracy protests known as "Hirak" led to the ousting of his predecessor, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power for two decades. The military played a pivotal role in Bouteflika’s removal, and Tebboune’s victory had been anticipated by many observers within and outside Algeria.
Tebboune’s 94.7% vote share is significantly higher than in other recent elections, surpassing Vladimir Putin’s 87% in Russia and Ilham Aliyev’s 92% in Azerbaijan. However, independent election observers were not permitted to monitor the Algerian election, leading to further questions about the legitimacy of the process.
While some, like pro-Tebboune University professor Abdellaoui Djazouli, framed the result as a "resounding endorsement" of the president's agenda, the low turnout tells a different story. Djazouli told public television, "The President has more legitimacy to continue his action to better establish his project for the new Algeria."
Critics, however, see the election as a tool for Algeria’s political elites to tighten their grip on power. Activists and opposition parties had called for a boycott, arguing that participation would only serve to legitimise "le pouvoir," the term used to describe the military-backed elites. Nassira Amour, a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement, highlighted the low turnout as a victory for the Hirak. "The majority did not vote... This electoral masquerade is a victory for the Hirak," she said.
Tebboune's re-election tally of 5.3 million votes exceeds his 2019 victory, where he won with 4.9 million votes or 58%. However, the stark decline in voter participation raises concerns about the political future of Algeria, Africa’s largest country by area and its second-most populous nation. Another presidential election is scheduled for 2024, amid a global wave of elections involving over half of the world’s population.
Image source: AP
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