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Algerian election officials declared President Abulmadjid Tebboune the winner of the election with 95 percent of the vote.
Opposition leaders condemned the election as a “farce,” accusing Tebboune of ballot stuffing to avoid a runoff. Tebboune himself joined the criticism, highlighting discrepancies between official results and local vote tallies and turnout figures.
The Algerian National Independent Election Authority (ANIE) reported that President Abulmadjid Tebboune won re-election with 94.7 percent of the vote, while Islamist Abedlali Hassani Cherif received 3.2 percent and socialist Youcef Aouchiche got 2.2 percent. Although heavily favored to win, the 78-year-old Tebboune was dissatisfied with the turnout of less than 40 percent in his previous victory and sought a higher turnout to strengthen his mandate.
Elected after the 2019 pro-democracy protests ousted Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Tebboune faced criticism for replacing one autocrat with another. Once in office, he harshly suppressed anti-government protests and, with military support, made his re-election a formality by disqualifying most opponents.
Opposition leader Zubaida Assoul, who was barred from the 2024 race, accused the authorities of using state resources to bolster Tebboune’s campaign and avoiding genuine elections that could lead to real change.
🇩🇿#Algeria, presidential election results:
Tebboune (inc): 94,6 %✅
Hassani Cherif (MSP): 3,2 %
Aouchiche (FFS): 2,2 %President Abdelmadjid Tebboune secured a second term as President. pic.twitter.com/89GF5r3EgI
— World Elects (@ElectsWorld) September 8, 2024
Back in July, 11 prominent opposition figures wrote an open letter denouncing the authoritarian climate surrounding the election.https://t.co/hF85E4eykr
— World Elects (@ElectsWorld) September 8, 2024
Algeria’s youth, disillusioned by the minimal impact of their 2019 protests, have grown estranged from the political system, exacerbated by high unemployment rates—over 30 percent among youth and 12 percent overall. This discontent contributes to low election turnout.
Tebboune’s supporters cite his commitment to maintaining pension and welfare programs as a critical reason for their vote. With increased European demand for Algerian gas following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, Tebboune has used the revenue for social programs.
Opposition candidates denounce the election as a “farce” and accused officials of manipulating results to inflate Tebboune’s victory margin. Hassani’s campaign chief called the election a “masquerade” that damages the country’s image.
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