Algeria’s Tebboune re-elected president amid vote rigging concerns

Algeria’s incumbent president Abdelmadjid Tebboune won a second term with more than 94% of votes amid low turnout, crackdown on opponents, and vote rigging concerns.

Tebboune was running against two less known candidates Islamist candidate Abdelali Hassani Cherif and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, who both received 3% and 2.1% of votes respectively.

Less than 50% of voters cast ballot in the election, which took place in a climate of human rights violations and crackdown on opposition.

Abdelali Hassani Cherif denounced “dysfunctions” and “inflated results” plaguing the presidential Algerian elections and the manipulation of turnout figures by authorities.

The vote “was marked by unacceptable administrative practices by the independent elections committee,” Cherif campaign director said in a statement.

“We regretfully note the return of old practices that could have been avoided, including: pressure on some polling station supervisors to inflate results, failure to deliver counting records to candidate representatives, and collective voting by proxy,” the statement adds.

Amid an electoral campaign marked by indifference of ordinary Algerians, the regime intensified its crackdown on opposition figures forcing Karim Tabbou to house arrest and banning him from any political activity.

It also kidnapped opposition figure and leader of Algeria’s communist party MDS Fethi Ghares, one of the most outspoken proponents of the pro-democracy protests known as the Hirak.

The Algerian regime is still thumbling at any call that would re-ignite calls for democracy following the example of the 2019 Hirak that prevented Bouteflika from a fifth term.