Algeria: Newly elected President took oath

Algeria’s newly elected President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been inaugurated this Thursday, one week after unpopular polls.

The 74-year old made his maiden speech to the nation in front of a myriad of civil and military authorities and in the presence of foreign diplomats accredited to the North African country, the state-run news agency APS reported.

The former Prime Minister was elected on December 12 among four other candidates, with 58 per cent of votes. The turn-out was put at 40 per cent.

Tebboune will replace Abdelaziz Bouteflika who ruled the gas-rich country for two decades and was forced to step down early April, following pressure from the army and street protests.

Algeria has been embroiled in a political crisis following Bouteflika’s announced plans to run for a new term in office despite his ailing conditions. Tens of thousands of Algerians have been matching since February demanding an overhaul of the political and economic establishments dominated by Bouteflika’s entourage.

The majority of voters (60 per cent) boycotted the elections and rejected Tebboune’s call for dialogue. Tens of thousands marched in the morning of the elections and the day of the results announcement.