President Tebboune likely to be re-elected

Some 24 million Algerians will go to the polls on September 7, with experts saying incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune does not face any real risks as he seeks a second term.

His main challenge, however, is to achieve a higher turnout than in the 2019 election, when he was declared Algeria's president with 58% of the vote but with a record abstention rate of more than 60%.

“The president is very keen to have a significant turnout,” said Hasni Abidi, an Algeria analyst at the Geneva-based CERMAM research centre. “That’s his main problem.”

Mr Tebboune, 78, is the front-runner, expected to easily defeat moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani and socialist Youssef Aouchiche in the race to lead the country of about 45 million people and Africa's largest exporter of natural gas.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Photo: Qatar News Agency

Despite distancing himself from political parties and presenting himself as an independent candidate, Mr Tebboune's bid was supported by major political parties, including the FLN, which led the struggle for Algeria's independence from France.

Mr Hassani, a 57-year-old civil engineer, is the leader of the Movement for Social Peace (MSP), Algeria's main Islamist party.

Mr Aouchiche, a 41-year-old former journalist and lawmaker, heads the Front for Social Forces (FFS), Algeria’s oldest opposition party with its main stronghold in the Berber-majority Kabylie region. The FFS has boycotted Algerian elections since 1999.

Although the official voting day is September 7, polling stations abroad opened on September 2, with more than 800,000 Algerians preparing to vote abroad. Mobile polling stations designed to collect votes in remote areas of Algeria began operating on September 4.

The election campaign took place at the height of the hot summer, causing attendance to drop.

All candidates have appealed to the youth vote, with young people making up more than half the population, making promises on social and economic issues to improve purchasing power and make the economy less dependent on hydrocarbon resources such as gas.

Fossil fuel exports account for about 95% of the North African country’s hard currency earnings. But Mr Tebboune says he has succeeded in correcting the country’s past mistakes and getting Algeria – now Africa’s third-largest economy – back on track.

The current Algerian president said such achievements were made despite "fighting against Covid-19 and corruption".

On foreign policy, there appears to be consensus among the candidates on issues related to the Palestinians and Western Sahara – a disputed territory between Algeria and Morocco.

Minh Duc (According to Digital Journal)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/election-in-algeria-general-president-tebboune-has-many-potential-to-have-204240905182806494.htm