News / North Africa

Figure from old regime wins Algeria’s presidential election

Friday, 13 December 2019 3:55 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 13 December 2019 4:07 PM ]

Algeria’s presidential candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune — now the president-elect — greets attendees during the presidential election, in Algiers, Algeria, on December 12, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

Algeria’s former prime minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune has won the presidential election in the unrest-hit country.

The 74-year-old Tebboune won 58.15 percent of the Thursday election, making a second round unnecessary, electoral commission chairman Mohamed Charfi announced.

Tebboune served as housing minister and briefly as premier under the two-decade rule of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned after mass protests in April.

According to Algerian authorities, 40 percent of eligible voters participated in the election. Many people regarded the voting — a contest between five Bouteflika-linked candidates — as a charade intended to maintain the old ruling elite in place.

Demonstrations continued to take place in the North African country on an almost weekly basis even after Bouteflika was forced to resign, with the protesters demanding an end to the entire old system, which they see as corrupt.

A polling station is seen during the presidential election in Algiers, Algeria, on December 12, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

After the announcement of the result, protesters took to the streets on Friday, shouting, “Tebboune is not my president.”

“I came out today because these elections do not have political, popular, or constitutional legitimacy. These people aren’t stupid. We will keep protesting until they realize all our demands. We are fed up with this injustice and we want it to stop,” one of the protesters said.

Some protesters also cast doubt on the official turnout.

“The real rate of voters is eight percent. Nobody voted,” said a protester on Friday.

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