ALGIERS: Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected for a second term with 84.3 percent of the vote in last week’s election, according to the official results announced by the country’s electoral authority, ANIE, on Saturday.
Initial preliminary results had given Tebboune nearly 95 percent of the vote, but these figures were contested by opponents who accused the election process of irregularities. The preliminary count prompted immediate appeals to the Constitutional Court, with candidates questioning the legitimacy of the results.
On Saturday, Omar Belhadj, President of the Constitutional Court, declared Tebboune the winner in a live broadcast on national TV and radio. “We announce that Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune is elected for a second term and will assume his responsibilities when he swears in,” Belhadj stated.
The 78-year-old incumbent, who first assumed office in December 2019 amidst widespread Hirak pro-democracy protests, was widely expected to secure re-election. Despite the high level of support reflected in the official results, the final count showed a notable decrease from the preliminary figures, which had been challenged by various stakeholders.
The September 7 election saw a turnout of 46.1 percent, according to Belhadj, with over 24 million Algerians registered to vote. The turnout was a significant focus for Tebboune’s campaign, as the incumbent sought to demonstrate broad electoral support amidst a period of political unrest.
Presidential candidate Abdelaali Hassani, leader of the Islamist Movement of Society for Peace, and Youcef Aouchiche, head of the centre-left Socialist Forces Front, both submitted challenges to the results.
Hassani denounced the preliminary results as “fraud,” while Aouchiche accused ANIE of “forging” the results. In an unusual joint statement, all three campaigns, including Tebboune’s, expressed concerns about “irregularities” in the results and highlighted “vagueness and contradictions” in the reported participation figures.
The preliminary results had reported Tebboune winning 94.65 percent of the vote, with Hassani and Aouchiche receiving 3.17 percent and 2.16 percent, respectively. The final official count adjusted these figures, giving Hassani 9.56 percent and Aouchiche 6.14 percent.
During his first term, Tebboune had promoted economic achievements, including job creation and wage increases, particularly within Algeria’s significant natural gas sector. Despite a 4 percent annual economic growth rate over the past two years, Algeria’s economy remains heavily reliant on oil and gas exports to support its social programs.
