After President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was declared the winner of Algeria’s election, he, along with his two challengers, condemned the election authority for reporting results that conflicted with earlier turnout figures and local counts.
The alleged irregularities have cast doubt on what initially seemed like a sweeping re-election for the 78-year-old leader.
On Sunday, Algeria’s National Independent Election Authority (ANIE) announced Tebboune had secured 94.7% of the vote, well ahead of Islamist candidate Abdelali Hassani Cherif, with 3.2%, and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, who garnered 2.2%.
However, later in the day, Tebboune and his opponents released a joint statement, accusing the election officials of releasing inconsistent results.
In a country where elections have typically been tightly controlled, the recent claims of irregularities have surprised many Algerians who anticipated an uneventful win for Tebboune.
It’s uncertain whether the concerns voiced by all three candidates will lead to legal challenges or delay the final certification of the results.
The figures announced Sunday showed Tebboune’s vote share significantly exceeding those seen in recent elections in Russia, where Putin secured 87%, and in Azerbaijan, where Aliyev garnered 92%.
Despite efforts by Tebboune and his administration to boost voter participation, turnout fell short, with fewer than 25% of voters casting ballots.
Election authorities reported that just 5.6 million out of Algeria’s approximately 24 million eligible voters turned out. This low participation rate, still unofficial, surpasses the 39.9% turnout in the 2019 presidential election.
Officials had earlier announced a 48% turnout at poll closing, but both of Tebboune’s rivals questioned this figure based on their own data.
Aouchiche described it as “strange,” while Cherif’s campaign manager, Ahmed Sadok, criticised delays and the calculation method.
Earlier, Sadok described the situation as “a shame” and “an attack on the image of Algeria,” adding that it risked making the country “the laughing stock of nations.”
He also noted that vote-sorting records had not been delivered to the candidates’ representatives, while cases of proxy group voting and pressure on poll workers to inflate figures had been recorded by his party.
The election has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from activists and civil society groups.
Human rights advocates have condemned the repressive atmosphere surrounding the campaign, marked by harassment and prosecutions of those involved with opposition parties, media outlets, and civil society organisations.
Some have dismissed the election as a mere formality designed to reinforce the status quo.
Last week, Amnesty International criticised Algeria for its “brutal crackdown on human rights,” particularly on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, in the lead-up to the presidential election.
Both supporters and opponents of Tebboune wasted no time in interpreting the election outcome before the candidates raised concerns over the results.
Abdellaoui Djazouli lauded the result on national television as a strong endorsement of the president’s agenda, stating that it granted Tebboune “greater legitimacy to pursue his vision for a new Algeria.”
In contrast, his overwhelming victory intensified criticism from pro-democracy activists who have long viewed Algerian elections as tools manipulated by political elites to simulate public approval.
For many, the most significant statement came from the large portion of the electorate that chose to abstain, fearing the election would only reinforce the military-backed establishment, commonly referred to as “le pouvoir”.
Nassira Amour, a prominent pro-democracy activist and teacher, stated that the Algerian people had delivered a lesson in democracy to the ruling elites.
“The majority did not vote,” she stated, describing the election as a “masquerade” and a victory for the Hirak movement.
The movement, which emerged in 2019, had successfully forced the military to remove President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after 20 years in power.
Protestors were frustrated with the government’s decision to hold elections that year, viewing it as a strategy by military leaders to suppress their push for civilian rule.
Tebboune, seen as the military’s preferred candidate, secured his first term in an election marked by widespread boycotts, where voting stations were ransacked and demonstrations dispersed by police.
Despite his initial promises to listen and bring about a “New Algeria,” weekly Hirak protests persisted, calling for more substantial reforms.
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