In Algeria, the constitutional court has officially confirmed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s landslide victory in the recent election. The court reassessed the vote counts following concerns raised by Tebboune and his two opponents. After reviewing the local voting data and addressing reported irregularities, the court determined that Tebboune had garnered fewer votes than initially reported and that his opponents had received hundreds of thousands more votes than previously stated. Omar Belhadj, the president of the constitutional court, announced the findings, solidifying Tebboune’s win and paving the way for his second-term inauguration.
According to the court’s revised figures, Tebboune secured approximately 84.3% of the vote, leading his closest rival, Islamist Abdellali Hassan Cherif, by a margin of about 75 percentage points. Cherif, representing the Movement of Society for Peace, obtained nearly 9.6% of the votes, while Youcef Aouchiche from the Socialist Forces Front received around 6.1%. Both challengers surpassed the vote threshold required to be reimbursed for their campaign expenses. This provision in Algeria’s election laws entitles political campaigns that garner more than a 5% vote share to receive financial support.
Despite criticism from government critics who viewed the election as a facade of democracy amid wider political repression, all three candidates stressed the importance of participation throughout the campaign. They urged voters and particularly youths to engage in the electoral process rather than boycott it. The court disclosed that the country’s voter turnout stood at 46.1%, an increase from the 2019 presidential election’s turnout of 39.9%. This development underscores a push for civic engagement and participation in Algeria’s political landscape.
