Provisional Voter Turnout Approaches 50% in Algeria’s Presidential Election

Nearly 50% of eligible voters have participated in Algeria’s presidential election, according to provisional figures, signaling strong public engagement in the country’s political future.

48.03% was the provisional turnout of voters in Algeria’s presidential election held on September 7th.

Many polling stations were relatively empty on Saturday morning. The election governing body later decided to prolong voting duration by one hour, with polls finally concluding at 8 pm local time.

Hajj, who cast their vote in Algiers, is among the first individuals to respond to the call.

He stated that the fate of our descendants, including aspects such as healthcare facilities, educational institutions, financial capabilities and national stability rests on this matter. Consequently,the leader must possess strong public backing.

There are three contenders participating in the competition.

Throughout the day, government officials and both opposition contenders implored citizens to exercise their right to vote. However, a mere 39.9% of eligible Algerians actually participated in the 2019 election.

The campaign originally planned for North Africa’s scorching summer season was marked by a general lack of interest.

ANIE, the country’s electoral authority, stated that provisional outcomes will be declared within 2 days.

While all contenders conveyed contentment with the proceedings on Saturday night, opposition figures identified a few “occurrences” and have lodged an appeal to ANIE.

are common among the employees.

Opposition parties, media organizations, and civil society groups are still being targeted for prosecution by authorities despite the outcry of activists and international organizations such as Amnesty International.

Critics have also condemned this election as an ineffective formality that will only fortify the current state of affairs.

“The phony election doesn’t matter to Algerians,” declared Hakim Addad, a former Hirak leader who was prohibited from involvement in politics for the past three years. “The regime’s continued presence perpetuates the political crisis. The voice of the Hirak has been heard.”

Despite receiving preliminary paperwork from twenty-six candidates to participate in the election, only two were later granted approval to contest against Tebboune.

Running with the campaign catchphrase “Opportunity!”, Abdelali Hassani Cherif, a 57-year-old leader of Movement of Society for Peace Islamist party has been making appeals to Algerian youth.

On Saturday, while voting at the polling place, he expressed his gratitude towards opponents and emphasized the significance of this election for shaping the country’s future.

A 41-year-old ex-journalist named Youcef Aouchiche, representing the Socialist Forces Front party, advocated for a “tomorrow’s vision” and targeted individuals troubled by political oppression and human rights issues during his campaign. Notably, this marks the first occasion since 1999 that his party has nominated a candidate.

During the Kabylia voting on Saturday, Aouchiche urged Algerians to abandon their current ruling system. By doing so, he hoped it would inspire young people to resist despair and not resort to dangerous boat journeys towards Europe in search of better opportunities instead of staying put at home.