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Doha – As expected, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune secured a second term in Algeria’s presidential elections on Saturday, winning a staggering 94.65% of the vote according to official results.
However, his landslide victory was overshadowed by reports of voting irregularities, a record low voter turnout, and strong criticism from opposition parties.
Tebboune’s two challengers, Abdelali Hassani of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) and Youcef Aouchiche of the Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), joined the president in slamming Algeria’s election authority for announcing contradictory results that did not align with local vote tallies.
“The direction of Hassani’s campaign denounced ‘violations’ in the voting process, with ‘pressure on some polling station officials to inflate results,’ especially the participation rate,” Hassani’s MSP party said in a statement. They described the average participation rate announced by the election authority as a “bizarre term.”
The FFS also reported issues, with campaign director Youcef Aouchiche stating that party representatives were prevented from accessing some polling stations. The FFS noted cases of voting by proxy for multiple people, which it said violates regulations.
Shockingly low turnout undermines legitimacy
Perhaps the most damning indictment of the election’s credibility was the record low voter turnout.
While initial reports from election officials claimed 48% participation, the final tally showed that out of 24.5 million registered voters, only 5.63 million votes were cast. This equates to a turnout of just 20%, the lowest in Algeria’s electoral history.
The vast majority of Algerians appeared to heed calls from the opposition and pro-democracy activists to boycott what they saw as a fixed election designed to entrench the ruling elite, known as “le pouvoir.”
“The vast majority of the Algerian people have just given ‘le pouvoir’ a lesson in democracy,” said Nassira Amour, a leading figure in Algeria’s Hirak pro-democracy movement. “The majority did not vote…This electoral masquerade is a victory for the Hirak.”
Total boycott in Kabylie region
The boycott was particularly successful in the restive Kabylie region, a stronghold of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which seeks independence for the Amazigh-speaking area. MAK leader Ferhat Mhenni claimed that as of 5 p.m. on election day, turnout in Kabylie was a mere 0.8%.
“More than 99% of Kabyles boycotted the poll in accordance with MAK’s call,” Mhenni said. “This new shining demonstration of the unity of the Kabyle people and their aspiration for self-determination powerfully comforts the Legal Opinion rendered on 04/09/2024 by two prestigious London law firms in favor of Kabylie’s legitimacy to decide its future sovereignly.”
Mhenni also alleged that “occupation forces” stationed in Kabylie met to discuss the feasibility of ballot box stuffing after polls closed, in order to boost the participation rate above single digits. “You can’t decently go from 0.8% turnout at 5pm to a double-digit result by 6pm,” he said.
Questions over democratic legitimacy
Tebboune’s victory was widely expected, as he had the backing of the military and major parties like the FLN, which have ruled Algeria since 1962. French media described his 94.65% result as a “Soviet score,” drawing parallels with sham elections during the Cold War.
The president’s democratic mandate appears badly dented by the low turnout, voting irregularities, and the fact that many saw the election as a charade to prop up an entrenched ruling class.
Analysts suggest that the Algerian government would have had an easier time justifying the election’s legitimacy with a more plausible outcome, such as a strong majority win for Tebboune on a moderate turnout.
The lopsided official results, combined with the record low participation, make it difficult for the regime to convince skeptics that the process was free and fair.
Faced with such a persisting crisis of legitimacy, it remains to be seen how Tebboune will handle a presidency seen by many Algerians as illegitimate from day one.
He has promised “ambitious” reforms to tackle corruption and make Algeria Africa’s second biggest economy, but his first challenge may be restoring faith in the country’s broken political system.
Read also: Tebboune Expected to Extend Rule as Algeria Votes in Tightly Controlled Election
