President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was declared the victor with 94.7% of the vote, surpassing his two challengers. Tebboune’s opponents included Islamist Abdelali Hassani Cherif, who received 3.2%, and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, with 2.2%.
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Abdelmadjid Tebboune was officially re-elected with 94.65% of the votes. This huge margin surpassed his two main challengers, Islamist Abdelali Hassani Cherif, who gained 3.2% of the vote and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, who secured 2.2%.
Although Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s victory was decisive, voter turnout was low. Fewer than 6 million of Algeria’s 24 million eligible voters participated. This follows a pattern from the 2019 election, where turnout was only 39.9%.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s challengers were unknown in Algerian politics. Hassani, representing the Islamist Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) focused on populist appeals to the youth, while Aouchiche, a former journalist running with the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), campaigned with a vision for tomorrow.
ANIE initially reported that 48% of the electorate had participated in the vote, but later, a figure of 5.6 million voters (out of 24 million eligible) was announced, translating to a turnout of around 23-24%.
The low turnout is significant as it signals a dissatisfaction among Algerians particularly after efforts by Tebboune’s government to encourage participation in the vote.
The abstention rate surpassed that of the 2019 election, which saw a 39.9% turnout, already considered low by political analysts.
Elections in Algeria have been carefully orchestrated affairs. Analysts say that the military often referred to as le pouvoir, holds huge influence over the election process.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune was first elected in 2019 after mass protests (the Hirak movement) led to the ousting of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s first election was also boycotted with large segments of the population viewing it as a continuation of military-backed rule rather than a true democratic transition.
The Hirak movement, which saw hundreds of thousands of protestors in 2019, demanded the removal of military influence in politics and a civilian-led government.
Algeria’s economy remains reliant on its oil and gas exports with hydrocarbons accounting for over 90% of export earnings. Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s tenure has seen increased social spending and subsidies to appease public discontent fueled by the Ukraine war’s impact on oil and gas prices.
With oil and gas revenues rising, Tebboune has pledged to increase pensions and the minimum wage by 2027.
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During his first term, Abdelmadjid Tebboune focused on economic reforms using Algeria’s oil and gas revenues to address some of the country’s social challenges.
He introduced unemployment insurance and raised wages and pensions to curb discontent. Despite these efforts, unemployment among Algeria’s youth remained a pressing issue.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration did create jobs and he pledged to create 450,000 more if re-elected.
Algeria’s economy remains heavily reliant on hydrocarbons, a sector that accounted for much of the revenue Tebboune used to implement social programs.
The country is Africa’s largest exporter of natural gas, but this dependence has limited economic diversification.
The 2024 election campaign held during the height of North Africa’s hot summer, was characterized by voter apathy.
Many citizens were disillusioned with the political system, frustrated by economic hardships such as rising costs of living, inflation and droughts that caused water shortages in some regions.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune referred to as Uncle Tebboune by his campaign. His team addressed the economic achievements including increased employment and higher wages.
Cherif and Aouchiche focused on voter engagement. Cherif, running on the slogan Opportunity, directed his campaign at Algeria’s large youth population.
Aouchiche, on the other hand pushed for a long-term vision, promoting reforms to benefit future generations.
After the election, all three campaigns including Tebboune’s issued a joint statement questioning the results announced by the electoral authority (ANIE).
The statement pointed to irregularities and vagueness in the participation figures. The Islamist candidate’s campaign expressed disappointment with the turnout.
With youth disillusionment and continued boycotts, analysts like Hasni Abidi from the Geneva-based CERMAM Study Center suggested that Tebboune’s re-election is more of a warning than a victory.
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