The recent Algerian presidential elections witnessed another chapter in the political drama orchestrated by the generals. The announced results revealed glaring contradictions, exposing the extent of manipulation and fraud in the electoral process.
Many observers described these elections as the “farce of the presidential elections,” especially after the hesitant announcement of results that extended over four hours. The victory of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ostensibly an independent candidate but in reality loyal to the military, was not surprising to anyone. Tebboune seems to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Bouteflika, who remained the military regime’s sole candidate even while in a near-comatose state.
Once again, the Algerian people refused to participate in this electoral charade. In an initial reaction to the farce of the presidential elections, the campaign manager for candidate Abdelali Hassani Cherif described the elections as a “farce and absurdity that tarnishes Algeria’s image.” Hassani added that the announced figures bear no relation to those declared the previous day, particularly regarding the turnout rate, which contradicts the number of expressed votes.
Among the 24 million registered voters, the three candidates only received 5.6 million votes, a participation rate of less than 25%. This percentage is far from the 48% declared by the electoral authority at midnight, four hours after the polls closed, noting that the turnout did not exceed 26% at 5 PM on the day of voting.
Ultimately, the generals’ bet on presenting an “independent” candidate failed to deceive any segment of the Algerian people. The public is more convinced than ever that the generals run the country, and the person installed in El Mouradia Palace is merely a front that allows them to remain in power.
