Algiers, Sept 8 — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been declared the winner of Saturday’s election with 95% of the vote, according to preliminary results released on Sunday. The result means Tebboune avoids a runoff. His rivals, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif and Youcef Aouchiche, received 3% and 2% of the vote, respectively, with turnout reported at 48%.
The election has faced scrutiny, with allegations of vote tampering. Cherif’s campaign claims that polling station officials were pressured to alter results and that there were irregularities in vote sorting and record-keeping. Ahmed Sadok, spokesperson for Cherif, described the election as a “farce,” citing discrepancies between the official results and their own figures. These claims have yet to be verified, and attempts to contact Tebboune’s and Aouchiche’s campaigns for comment were unsuccessful.
Electoral commission head Mohammed Charfi defended the election’s integrity, stating that measures were in place to ensure fairness. However, late on Sunday, Tebboune and Cherif, along with other candidates, issued a joint statement criticizing the provisional results for being inconsistent and unclear.
Tebboune’s re-election is expected to continue his administration’s focus on social programs, funded by increased energy revenues since he assumed office in 2019. His first term saw an increase in unemployment benefits, pensions, and public housing programs, although economic challenges persist, including high inflation and unemployment rates above 12%.
