On the 12th of December, Algerians went to the polls to select one of the five candidates vying for the country’s presidential seat in the country’s overdue presidential election. The election took place against a backdrop of protests which began in February following erstwhile President Bouteflika’s attempt to seek a fifth term in office.
This election marked the third time the country attempted to hold presidential elections this year after elections slated for April and July were scrapped amid unrelenting protests.
The Contenders
The five candidates that contested in the election all had ties to Bouteflika’s government.
Source: Al Jazeera
- Abdelamajid Tebboune served as prime minister from May to August 2017 and prior to that held various other government portfolios. He was seen as army chief Gaid Salah’s preferred candidate. He won the election with 58.13 per cent of the vote.
- Abdelkader Bengrina is the former Tourism Minister and leader of the Islamist El Bina party. He came second with 17.38 per cent.
- Ali Benflis is a member of Bouteflika’s National Liberation Front and served as prime minister from 2000 to 2003. He ran for President in 2004 and 2014, losing to Bouteflika. He received 10.55 per cent of the votes cast.
- Azzedine Mihoubi has served as the country’s Minister for Culture since 2015. He received 7.28 per cent of the votes.
- Abdelaziz Belaid was a member of the National Liberation Front before founding the el-Moutstakbal party in 2011. He also ran in the 2014 election. He received 6.67 per cent of the votes in this election.
Since Tebboune received more than 50 per cent of the votes, he was declared the winner and has been sworn in. His victory, however, provoked another round of protest across the country. Protesters were dissatisfied with the conduct of the polls, as they want a complete departure from those who have wielded power over the country since independence.
As protesters continue to demand political change, it is certain that the new leader will face a lot of challenges.
