Source: France 24
About 24 million registered voters out of the 45 million people in Algeria are eligible to vote in the
country’s highly anticipated election scheduled for Saturday, 7 September 2024.
Campaign activities ended on Tuesday, September 3,
three days before the election.
Out of the
sixteen people who initially filed their nominations to contest, only three
were given the green light by the country’s election management body, the
National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE). The other thirteen
candidates were disqualified, as they were not able to obtain the required
number of signatures or endorsements to support their candidacy, according to
ANIE.
This article
examines the background of the three candidates, their campaign messages, as
well as who is likely to win the presidential election.
Abdelmajid Tebboune
Abdelmajid
Tebboune, 78, is the incumbent president of Algeria and an independent
candidate. He came to power in in 2019
after securing 58% of the votes in an election that recorded low
turnout, amidst widespread
pro-democracy protests.
Tebboune's political career spans several
decades. He first assumed public office as Deputy Minister for Local Government
in 1991 and went on to serve as Minister of Communication.
Under his tenure, the claims to have restored the
country’s economy, tackled corruption by imprisoning key figures from the
previous regime, and boosted the country’s position as Africa's top natural gas
exporter.
However, his presidency faces criticism for human
rights abuses, including cracking down
on dissent, banning protests, and maintaining military influence in politics.
His main campaign theme for this year election
is “completion
of the new Algeria”.
He has pledged to advance the country’s economy
through diversifying
its revenue generation beyond gas export.
Abdelali Hassani Cherif
Abdelali Hassani Cherif, 58, is an
engineer by profession. He is the presidential candidate for the Movement of
Society for Peace (MSP) in the upcoming elections. He began his political
career as Vice President of the Provincial
People’s Assembly (APW) of M’Sila from
2002 to 2007. He then served as a member of the Algerian National People’s
Assembly from 2007 to 2012. On March 8, 2023, Abdelali Hassani Cherif was
elected President of the Movement of Society for Peace.
His campaign theme for the 2024 election
is titled “opportunity”
which encompasses five
priorities areas, including political
reforms, social support and housing policies, free and sustainable economy,
enhancing Algeria's international influence and defense capabilities, and
promoting university competitiveness while revitalizing the reformative role of
mosques.
Youcef Aouchiche
Youcef Aouchiche, 41, a journalist by
profession, is the presidential
candidate for the Socialist Forces Front (FFS). Between 2012 and 2017, he
served as Parliamentary Assistant, and was elected as the president of the Provincial
People’s Assembly (APW) of Tizi Ouzou
between 2017 to 2021.
According to Aouchiche’s campaign, he
intends to champion a transformative
economy and social reforms by involving
the Algerian diaspora into national
development efforts.
Who is likely to win the elections?
The outcome of the election is quite predictable, with the incumbent president Abdelmadjid Tebboune widely expected to win a second term, following his massive support from major political parties and civil society organizations.
Follow the Algeria Presidential Election on Twitter and Facebook on @Africanelection
Africanelections.org