Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has secured re-election with an impressive 95% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral authority. The results were announced during a press conference in the capital, Algiers, revealing that out of 5,630,000 registered voters, approximately 5,320,000 cast their ballots for Tebboune, which translates to 94.65% of the total votes.
At 78 years old, Tebboune faced opponents including moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani and socialist candidate Youcef Aouchiche, both of whom were significantly less favored in the election. The electoral authority highlighted that the voting process was conducted with “broad transparency” and demonstrated the electoral maturity of the populace.
However, the official turnout rate remains undisclosed, a critical factor considering the challenges Tebboune faced in a previously low participation election. In 2019, he was elected during a time of civil unrest and boycotts, leading to a record abstention rate exceeding 60%.
Early reports suggested an “average turnout” of 48%, labeled as provisional by the electoral authority, yet a specific breakdown of voter participation was not given. The announcement of the turnout came three hours later than expected, as voting was extended by an hour to encourage higher participation.
During the day, participation was reported to be at 26% by 5:00 PM, which was lower than the 33% mark documented during the same timeframe in the 2019 elections. In response, Hassani’s campaign expressed doubts about the reported turnout figures, deeming them “strange” and accusing the electoral authority of attempting to “inflate the results.”
