Presidential elections were held in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

on 9 April 2009. The result was a victory for incumbent President

Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ar, عبد العزيز بوتفليقة, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Būtaflīqa ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as President of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019 ...

, who was re-elected with 90% of the vote.

Background

The Council of Ministers announced on 3 November 2008 that a planned constitutional revision would remove the two-term limit on the presidency that was previously included in Article 74, thereby enabling Bouteflika to run for a third term. The

People's National Assembly The People's National Assembly ( ar, المجلس الشعبي الوطني, al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani; ber, Asqamu Aɣerfan Aɣelnaw; french: Assemblée populaire nationale), abbreviated APN, is the lower house of the Algerian Parliament. ...

endorsed the removal of the term limit on 12 November 2008, with only the

Rally for Culture and Democracy The Rally for Culture and Democracy ( ber, Agraw i Yidles d Tugdut; ar, التجمع من أجل الثقافة والديمقراطية; french: Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie, RCD) is a political party in Algeria. It promotes ...

(RCD) voting against its removal."Algerian opposition pulls out of 'pathetic' presidential vote"
AFP, 15 January 2009.

Candidates

Thirteen candidates submitted papers to contest the election, but only six were approved to run: *

, incumbent president and leader of the National Liberation Front. Supported by the

Democratic National Rally The Democratic National Rally ( ar, التجمع الوطني الديمقراطي, french: Rassemblement National Démocratique, RND) is a political party in Algeria. The party held its Second Congress on 15–17 May 2003. History The RND ...

Louisa Hanoune Louisa Hanoune ( ar, لويزة حنون; born 7 April 1954) is the head of Algeria's Workers' Party (Parti des Travailleurs, PT). In 2004, she became the first woman to run for President of Algeria. Hanoune was imprisoned by the government seve ...

, candidate of the Workers' Party *Moussa Touati, candidate of the

Algerian National Front The Algerian National Front (french: Front National Algérien; ar, الجبهة الوطنية الجزائرية, Jabhah al-Waṭaniyyah al-Jazā'iriyyah) is a right-wing political party in Algeria. The leader of the party is Moussa Touati. ...

(FNA) *Mohammed Said, independent candidate supported by his Party of Justice and Liberty (which was not recognised at the time of the election) *Djahid Younsi, candidate of the

Movement for National Reform The Movement for National Reform (; french: Mouvement pour la réforme nationale) is a moderate Islamist political party in Algeria. It received 9.5% of the vote in the 2002 elections and received 43 members of parliament. The party was created ...

Ali Fawzi Rebaine Ali Fawzi Rebaine ( ar, علي فوزي رباعين) (born 24 January 1955 in Algiers) is the leader of the Ahd 54 political party in Algeria. He is an optician and human rights-activist, and claims to have founded Algeria's first independent h ...

, candidate of

Ahd 54 Ahd 54 ( ar, عهد 54), "Generation of '54", is a minor Algerian party led by human rights-activist Ali Fawzi Rebaine, who claims to have founded the first Algerian human rights organization. Its name is an allusion to the start of the Algerian ...

Although some urged former President

Liamine Zéroual Liamine Zéroual ( ar, اليمين زروال ALA-LC: ''al-Yamīn Zarwāl''; Berber: Lyamin Ẓerwal; born 3 July 1941) is an Algerian politician who was the sixth President of Algeria from 31 January 1994 to 27 April 1999. Biography He was bor ...

to run, he said in a published statement on 14 January 2009 that he would not, while also suggesting that it was not in the best interests of democracy for Bouteflika to run for a third term. RCD President

Saïd Sadi Saïd Sadi ( Kabyle: Saεid Seεdi) (born 26 August 1947) is an Algerian politician who was President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) until 2012. He is founder of the first Algerian human rights league. Born at Aghribs, now in Tiz ...

announced on 15 January 2009 that the RCD would not participate in the elections, which he described as a "pathetic and dangerous circus", saying that to participate "would be tantamount to complicity in an operation of national humiliation". Bouteflika announced his independent candidacy for a third term at a rally in Algiers on 12 February 2009, and officially submitted his candidacy on 23 February, shortly before the deadline.

Results

The official turnout of 75% was disputed by the opposition, with some claiming it was as low as 16%. Informal US Embassy observations placed it at "25–30 percent at most."Bouteflika reelected in heavily managed contest
Wikileaks

References

{{Algerian elections

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...

Presidential elections in Algeria