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Presidential elections were held in
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
on 12 December 2019. The election had originally been scheduled for 18 April, but was postponed due to sustained weekly protests against plans by the incumbent president
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...
to run for a fifth term. Bouteflika resigned on 2 April and
Abdelkader Bensalah Abdelkader Bensalah (, 24 November 1941 – 22 September 2021) was an Algerian politician. He served as the President of the Council of the Nation, the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Algeria, between 2002 and 2019. After President ...
was elected acting president by parliament a week later. On 10 April the election was rescheduled for 4 July. On 2 June the Constitutional Council postponed the elections again, citing a lack of candidates. A new electoral authority, Autorité nationale indépendante des élections (ANIE), was created in mid-September as an alternative to the existing (HIISE) defined by the 2016 constitution. The election was rescheduled for 12 December 2019 and ANIE, of disputed constitutional validity, announced five valid candidates on 2 November. In their strong protest on 1 November, Algerian protestors rejected the 12 December election and called for a radical change in the system to take place first. The
Forces of the Democratic Alternative The Forces of the Democratic Alternative ( or (FPAD), agdudan, Arabic: العقد السياسي لقوى البديل الديمقراطي; also: ''Democratic Alternative Forces Pact'', ''Forces of the Pact of the Democratic Alternative'') or FD ...
(FDA) alliance and the Justice and Development Front also called for boycotting the 12 December election, and the FDA called for creating a
constituent assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
.


Electoral system

The
President of Algeria The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (, ) is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces. The current president is Abdelmadjid Tebbo ...
is elected using the
two-round system The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...
; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round will be held.


Electoral bodies

The Algerian Constitution of 2016 created the (HIISE) to have overall responsibility for organising elections. For the third attempt to organise the 2019 presidential election, the Algerian
lower Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...
and upper houses of parliament created the Independent National Elections Authority (ANIE). Lawyer Faïz Moussi and constitutional expert Ahmed Betatache described the procedures for creating ANIE as rushed and unconstitutional. Fouad Makhlouf, secretary-general of HIISE, had stated earlier, in April 2019, that the replacement of HIISE's role by an alternative electoral body would be unconstitutional.


Background


Early 2019 protests and internet censorship

Plans for a presidential election in Algeria in 2019 were a major factor motivating the start of the
2019 Algerian protests The 2019–2021 Algerian protests, also called Revolution of Smiles or Hirak (), began on 16 February 2019, six days after Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term in a signed statement. These protests, without ...
, with protestors objecting to the reelection of
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...
. On 22 February 2019, protests took place in
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
,
Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...
,
Sétif Sétif () is the capital city of the Sétif Province and the 5th most populous city of Algeria, with an estimated population of 1.866.845 in 2017). It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is c ...
,
Annaba Annaba (), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River and is in the Annaba Province. With a population of about 263,65 ...
and other Algerian cities over Bouteflika's bid to continue for a fifth term. Algerians reported difficulty accessing online services and the NetBlocks internet observatory published technical evidence of multiple targeted internet disruptions at demonstration flashpoints in
Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria, and capital of Tizi Ouzou Province and Tizi Ouzou District. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylia reg ...
and around Algiers.


Candidates

Bensalah is not eligible to participate in the presidential election.


18 April 2019 cancelled election

On 3 March 2019, a day after his 82nd birthday and while undergoing medical tests in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...
formally submitted his candidacy, but said in a statement read on state TV that he would not serve a full term if re-elected. Instead, he promised to organise a national conference and set a date for an early election which he would not participate in. The announcement followed weeks of protests against his plan to seek a fifth term in office. A week later, on 11 March 2019, Bouteflika withdrew from the race and postponed the election. On 1 November 2018, journalist announced that he would be a candidate in the election. On 4 April 2019, Ali Ghediri, a former director of human resources at the Ministry of Defense, announced his candidacy.


4 July 2019 cancelled election

The 4 July 2019 election had two candidates who applied: Abdelhakim Hamadi from Jijel, born 23 August 1965, who trained as a vet, worked in the state sector and became a businessman; and Hamid Touahri, an aeronautical mechanical engineer who worked in medical sales and construction and managed an audiovisual production firm. Both candidates' applications were lodged on 25 May, and later rejected by the Constitutional Council, which cancelled the election due to what it called the "impossibility" of organising the election.


12 December 2019 election

Potential candidates
Ahmed Gaid Salah Ahmed Gaid Salah (; 13 January 1940 – 23 December 2019) was an Algerian military officer and chief of staff of the Algerian People's National Army from 2004 to 2019. In 2004, he was appointed by then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to the posit ...
and Noureddine Bedoui won't run. Former prime minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem was expected to be a candidate. The Tajamou Amel El-Djazaïr former minister Amar Ghoul (in prison at the time) announced his participation in the vote. 145 people picked up their application forms, including: *Ali Benflis, former head of government; *Abdelaziz Belaid, president of the El Moustakbal Front; *Aissa Belhadi, president of the Front of Good Governance; *Abdelkader Bengrina, president of the El-Bina Movement; *Ali Zeghdoud, president of the Algerian Rally party; *Mourad Arroudj, president of Errafah; *Belkacem Sahli, president of the Republican National Alliance; *Abdelmadjid Tebboune, former Prime Minister; *Rabah Bencherif; *Azzedine Mihoubi, former Minister of Culture; *Rabah Bencherif; *Souleymen Bakhlili, journalist; *Ahmed Ben Nâamane, writer; *Abderrahmane Arrar, coordinator of the Civil Force for Change.


Candidates submitting nominations

This list includes all the candidates who have deposited their candidacy file with the Independent National Elections Authority:


Final candidates

The list below is the final list of candidates for the presidentials of 12 December 2019, after the Constitutional Council rejected all the appeals submitted for failure to establish and not to fulfill the essential requirements contained in Articles 139 and 142 of the Organic Law related to the electoral system, amended and supplemented. The candidates whose appeals were rejected (09) are: Belkacem Sahili, Ali Skouri, Abdel Hakim Hammadi, Noui Kharchi, Muhammad Dhaif, Abdelhakim Hamadi, Mohammed BouAouina, Fares Mesdour, Raouf Ayeb. ''
Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera English (AJE; , ) is a 24-hour English-language News broadcasting, news channel operating under Al Jazeera Media Network, which is funded by the government of Qatar. Al Jazeera introduced an English-language division in 2006. It is ...
'' described the five candidates as "all part of the political establishment", whose departure from power is one of the main aims of the
2019 Algerian protests The 2019–2021 Algerian protests, also called Revolution of Smiles or Hirak (), began on 16 February 2019, six days after Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term in a signed statement. These protests, without ...
. ''
Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ( ) is a Canadian multinational corporation, multinational content-driven technology Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and maintains its headquarters at 1 ...
'' described the candidates as "men on the ballot hoall have close links with the establishment, and though some of them pushed for reforms, many still see them as part of an entrenched, unchanging elite."


Election schedule

The timetable for the presidential elections, and the following is an illustrative schedule for the dates and procedures for the presidential elections, 12 December 2019:


Boycott


Protestors

In the weekly protests that continued the early 2019 protests that led to Bouteflika dropping his candidacy for the initially scheduled election and resigning from the presidency, twenty thousand protestors called for the 12 December election to be boycotted on the grounds that the system of people in power under Bouteflika remained in place. In the 1 November 2019 demonstration of two hundred thousand demonstrators, on the 37th Friday weekly protest, demonstrators called for all members of the system of power in place to be dismissed and for a radical change in the political system. They rejected the 12 December election, with slogans describing it as "an election with the gangs" and as an "election organised by a corrupt power
hich Ij () is a village in Golabar Rural District of the Central District in Ijrud County, Zanjan province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq ...
is a trap for idiots"


Prominent individuals and organisations

Former prime minister Ahmed Benbitour, former minister Abdelaziz Rahabi, Ali Fawzi Rebaine, Mohamed Said and Rachid Nekkaz, announced that they are not candidates because of the political climate. On 28 September, Abdallah Djaballah, president of the Justice and Development Front, announced that his party will not take part in the elections. This was followed by the Society for Peace Movement, which made a similar decision for the same reasons. The
Forces of the Democratic Alternative The Forces of the Democratic Alternative ( or (FPAD), agdudan, Arabic: العقد السياسي لقوى البديل الديمقراطي; also: ''Democratic Alternative Forces Pact'', ''Forces of the Pact of the Democratic Alternative'') or FD ...
, a coalition including the
Socialist Forces Front The Socialist Forces Front (; ) is a social democratic and secularist political party, mainly supported by Berbers in Algeria. The FFS is a member of the Socialist International and the Progressive Alliance. It led an unsuccessful rebellion agai ...
(FFS), the
Rally for Culture and Democracy Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Political demonstration A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against ...
(RCD), the
Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...
(PT), the Socialist Workers Party (PST), the Union for Change and Progress (UCP), the Democratic and Social Movement (MDS), the
Party for Secularism and Democracy A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
(PLD) and the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH), announced their refusal to participate in the vote.


Mayors

In September, 56 mayors in
Kabylie Kabylia or Kabylie (; in Kabyle language, Kabyle: Tamurt n leqbayel; in Tifinagh: ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵍⴻⵇⴱⴰⵢⴻⵍ; ), meaning "Land of the Tribes" is a mountainous coastal region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kaby ...
stated that they would refuse to organise the practical aspects of the 12 December election in their municipalities and would do everything in their power to prevent the election taking place.


Results

Preliminary results showed that former Prime Minister and Minister of Housing
Abdelmadjid Tebboune Abdelmadjid Tebboune (; born 17 November 1945) is an Algerian politician currently serving as the president of Algeria since December 2019 and as minister of defence. Tebboune took over the power from former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and f ...
won the election in the first round, leading his nearest opponent (Abdelkader Bengrina of the Islamist El Binaa party) by over 40% of the valid votes. The official estimate of the turnout of just under 40% of eligible voters was the lowest of any Algerian presidential election held since independence, primarily due to boycotts by citizens and political parties alike. The
Rally for Culture and Democracy Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Political demonstration A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against ...
estimated the turnout five times lower, at 8%. The low turnout, as well as the relatively high number of spoiled ballots out of those who did participate, was seen as a continuation of the pro-democracy protests that preceded the resignation of
Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...
, as all approved candidates in the election were seen as members of the political establishment.


References

{{Algerian elections
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
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 ...
2019–2021 Algerian protests Algerian presidential election Presidential elections in Algeria