Uncertainty looms in Algeria as confusion arises over the recently concluded election results, with citizens and political observers questioning the clarity and transparency of the vote.
The Algerian populace had hoped for a peaceful electoral process resulting in the re-election of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. However, their expectations were shattered as the president himself cast doubt on the vote count and his rivals lodged legal complaints citing fraudulent activity.
The turn of events in question signifies a pivotal moment for Algeria as its ruling elite and military machine, both known for meticulously orchestrating elections up until now, have been caught off guard.
Mr. Tebboune’s two opponents have appealed to the country’s constitutional court, which has a deadline of next week to make its ruling. The outcome is uncertain and it remains unknown whether there will be recounts or how this may impact Mr. Tebboune’s efforts to portray himself as a legitimate leader with public backing.
Throughout election day, the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE) kept releasing numbers indicating a low voter turnout. By 5pm on Saturday, only 26.5% of eligible voters had turned out to vote; this was significantly lower than previous elections held five years ago. Despite unexplained delays in reporting updates throughout the day, ANIE finally declared at 8 pm that there was an average provisional turnout of approximately 48%.
However, she stated the following day that a mere 5.6 million of approximately 24 million voters had voted, falling considerably short of achieving 48 percent turnout.
According to her, Mr. Tebboune secured his re-election with the support of 94.7 percent of voters while his two challengers, Abdelali Hassani Cherif from the Movement for Society and Youcef Aouchiche from the Front of Socialist Forces received only 3.2 percent and 2.2 percent respectively.
The campaigns of Cherif and Aouchiche raised concerns about the reported results, claiming fraud involving election officials being pressured and proxy voting.
Observers were not surprised by any of this.
Later, Mr. Tebboune’s campaign aligned with his rivals and released a joint statement denouncing the ANIE for its “imprecisions, contradictions, vagueness and incongruities,” which gave rise to doubts regarding the president’s triumph and connected him to the public outrage that his adversaries had fomented.
On Tuesday, Cherif and Aouchiche lodged appeals with the Algerian Constitutional Court after their campaigns once again discredited the election as “an insincere act.”
The rate of participation.
Voting is perceived by activists in Algeria as an approval of a corrupt military-led government rather than a catalyst for significant change, which leads to the notorious low turnout.
Encouraging Algerians to engage in the election has been a common topic for both Mr. Tebboune and his rivals, which stems from the impact of Hirak pro-democracy demonstrations that resulted in previous president’s removal.
Following the prompt arrangement of elections by an interim government in December 2019, demonstrators refused to participate due to assertions of election fraud. They believed that these elections were a ploy for those in power to select their own leader and sidestep much needed transformations requested by the general public.
Despite being viewed as the military’s favored contender, Tebboune secured 58 percent of the electoral votes. However, since over 60% of Algeria’s total voting population estimated at 24 million failed to participate in the elections and uprisings persisted after his win was announced.
Tebboune’s supporters were counting on a decisive win with robust voter turnout to reinforce his public backing and steer Algeria away from the political turmoil that ousted his forerunner. But their expectations have been dashed, as only 5.6 million out of the total 24 million voters actually participated in the election.
Protests known as Hirak
The year 2019 witnessed a massive pro-democracy demonstration in Algeria, called the “Hirak” (which translates to movement in Arabic), that drew millions of participants.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 81, drew the ire of protesters with his declaration to contest for a fifth term; this move came as he has spent limited time in public since being incapacitated by a stroke five years ago.
Upon Bouteflika’s resignation and the allegations of corruption against notable businessmen, the Hirak felt a mixture of elation and disappointment. Rather than aligning with any particular leaders or proposed course for Algeria’s future, protestors demanded extensive reforms aimed at promoting authentic democracy and ousting those individuals who make up “le pouvoir” – that is to say, Algerian society’s businesspersons, politicians, and military elite believed to be in control of their nation.
Most of Tebboune’s initial gestures to appease the Hirak protesters have been disregarded, as they perceive him to be a part of the old regime.
Despite ongoing protests before, during, and after Tebboune’s election, authorities eventually prohibited them due to COVID-19. Despite the ban on demonstrations, there was still a sustained crackdown by law enforcement targeting free speech with journalists and activists associated with pro-democracy protesting being detained or imprisoned. However in 2021 yet another wave of protests appeared to resume despite the oppressive atmosphere maintained by local forces.
The Hirak movement has criticized the 2024 election as a mere formality to maintain the current state of affairs in Algeria. They have urged for another wave of boycotts, emphasizing their lack of trust in the system. The substantial number of abstentions during Saturday’s vote is being viewed by many as evidence that Algerians continue to reject and disapprove systemic issues.
“The Algerians are indifferent to this pretend election,” declared Hakim Addad, a previous Hirak leader who was prohibited from engaging in politics for the last three years. He added that “as long as the regime exists, there will be an ongoing political turmoil,” emphasizing that “the Hirak has voiced its concerns.”
Reconsidering the outcome.
There is little faith in the likelihood of the protests resulting in Tebboune’s win being invalidated. The creation of ANIE, an independent electoral authority established last year alongside its president Mohamed Charfi, has been disapproved by Algerian columnists and political experts for hindering elections that were intended to solidify the government’s credibility against their detractors.
According to Hasni Abidi, an expert on Algeria at the Centre for Studies and Research on the Arab World and the Mediterranean in Geneva, there is presently a lack of coherence within both the regime as well as among its elite. He further added that this outcome symbolically affects not only Algeria’s trustworthiness owing to its system but also has consequences for Mr Tebboune’s winning streak.
There are suggestions that the fact he was willing to team up with his opponents and denounce an election he won indicates internal disagreements among Algeria’s ruling elite.
READ ALSO: Provisional Voter Turnout Approaches 50% in Algeria’s Presidential Election
According to Riccardo Fabiani, the North Africa director of the International Crisis Group, it is a fact that the political system is currently more disjointed and lacking in cohesion than both past perceptions and current assumptions suggest.
The consequences or risks involved are high.
Despite the likelihood of Mr Tebboune’s victory, the election will demonstrate how widely his policies and economic vision are supported, five years after his predecessor was ousted by a pro-democracy movement.
In terms of land area, Algeria is Africa’s biggest country. It has a population of almost 45 million and ranks second in the continent after South Africa for its number residents. The year 2024 will see presidential elections taking place among more than half of the world’s population across over fifty countries worldwide.
Despite its oil and gas revenues making the country relatively rich compared to neighboring nations, a significant portion of the population has voiced concerns in recent years regarding escalating living expenses and frequent shortages of fundamental commodities like cooking oil – with some regions experiencing scarcity of water.
As nearby countries such as Libya, Niger and Mali endure upheaval through violence, coups and revolutions, this nation has become a reliable source of regional stability. It frequently serves as an intermediary between Western nations while also aiding in counterterrorism efforts.
This country is a significant energy provider, especially for European nations attempting to reduce their reliance on Russian gas. It also has complex connections with France, its former colonial ruler from 1830 until the year 1962.
According to the arms transfer database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, this country’s defense expenditure is double that of any other African nation and it ranks third worldwide in importing Russian weaponry after India and China.
