- President Abdulmadjid Tebboune is declared the victor with 95% of the vote
- Rival Abdelaali Hassani Cherif accuses officials of vote tampering and irregularities
- Voter participation was at 48%
Algerian election officials have announced President Abdulmadjid Tebboune as the decisive victor of Saturday’s election, with a staggering 95% of the vote, effectively eliminating the need for a runoff.
However, this overwhelming win comes amid allegations from rival candidate Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, who claims that the vote count was tampered with and reported irregularities, including coerced vote manipulation and missing records.
Turnout was reported at 48%, with Tebboune’s closest competitors, Hassani Cherif and Youcef Aouchiche, receiving 3% and 2% of the vote, respectively.
Despite the allegations, election commission head Mohammed Charfi asserted that the process was conducted with transparency and fairness.
Tebboune, who is backed by the military and faced only nominal opposition from establishment-approved candidates, will likely continue his administration’s focus on enhancing social spending funded by rising energy revenues. His first term saw increases in unemployment benefits, pensions, and public housing.
The re-elected president’s term comes after a period marked by mass protests that led to the resignation of his predecessor, Abdulaziz Bouteflika. Despite the promise of economic reforms, challenges remain, including high unemployment and inflation rates, which may have contributed to the low voter turnout.
In international affairs, Tebboune’s presidency has seen mixed results, with setbacks in Algeria’s regional influence and foreign policy ambitions, particularly in relation to the BRICS expansion and the Sahel region’s stability.
