ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Polls closed Saturday in Algeria, with voters deciding whether to give military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune a new term, five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.
Tebboune is expected to easily defeat two challengers. The real question is turnout. To cement his legitimacy, Tebboune hopes not only to win but also to surpass the low turnout that marred his first victory in 2019. A second term for Tebboune is expected to further consolidate the power of Algeria’s ruling elite.
Although he is expected to be declared the winner once the results are final, military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said after the vote on Saturday that he hopes that “whoever wins will continue on the path to a point of no return in the construction of democracy.”
The question is not so much who wins, but how many voters stay home.
Both Tebboune’s supporters and challengers have urged voters to vote after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections undermined the government’s ability to command popular support.
