Algerianincumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected with nearly 95 percent of the vote, according to the country’s electoral authority, ANIE.
“Out of 5.63 million registered voters, 5.32 million cast their ballots for independent candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune, representing 94.65 percent of the vote,” ANIE head Mohamed Charfi announced during a press conference in the capital, Algiers, on Sunday.
Tebboune, 78, was the clear favorite in the race, facing moderate candidate Abdelaali Hassani, 57, and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, 41.
Charfi praised the election, saying it was marked by “broad transparency” and reflected the “electoral maturity of the people.”
However, he did not disclose the official voter turnout rate, a key concern for Tebboune, who was looking to surpass the turnout from 2019 when he was first elected amid widespread boycotts and mass Hirak pro-democracy protests. In 2019, the abstention rate exceeded 60 percent.
Turnout Uncertainty
Earlier in the day, ANIE had reported a “provisional” turnout rate of 48 percent but did not provide specific figures or details.
The announcement came three hours later than expected, as voting was extended by one hour to accommodate more voters. By 5:00 pm, ANIE had also reported a participation rate of 26 percent, which was lower than the 33 percent reported by the same time during the 2019 election.
Abdelaali Hassani’s campaign issued a statement criticizing ANIE’s reported turnout as “strange,” accusing the electoral authority of inflating the figures. Hassani leads the Movement of Society for Peace, while Aouchiche represents the center-left Socialist Forces Front.
