Algeria’s incumbent president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has been re-elected with an overwhelming 94.7% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral authority.
Tebboune, 78, who has the backing of the military, secured victory in Saturday’s election, defeating his two main challengers, conservative Abdelaali Hassani Cherif and socialist Youcef Aouchiche.
Of the 5.63 million votes cast, Tebboune received over 5.32 million, while Hassani Cherif garnered 3%, and Aouchiche earned 2.1%. The head of Algeria’s National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE), Mohamed Charfi, announced the results on Sunday in the capital, Algiers. However, Hassani Cherif’s campaign has raised concerns over the fairness of the election, alleging irregularities such as pressure on polling station officials and issues with vote-sorting records. Despite these claims, the election commission maintained that the process was transparent and fair.
The election saw a voter turnout of 48%, slightly higher than the 40% recorded during Tebboune’s first election in 2019. Observers noted that younger Algerians, many of whom are disillusioned with the political system, were largely uninterested in the election, contributing to the relatively low turnout.
Tebboune, who first assumed office in 2019 after mass protests ousted his predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has focused on social spending fueled by increased energy revenues. He has promised to continue raising unemployment benefits, pensions, and public housing programs. However, critics argue that the election serves to maintain the status quo, particularly with Tebboune’s close ties to the military.
The election campaign was marked by a repressive atmosphere, with activists and international organizations such as Amnesty International denouncing the harassment of opposition parties and civil society groups. Despite this, all three candidates made efforts to engage the Algerian youth, a demographic disproportionately affected by poverty and unemployment.
Algeria, Africa’s largest country by area and home to almost 45 million people, held its presidential election in the context of broader regional and global developments.
With input from Al Jazeera, Reuters, and PBS News.