Algeria’s current President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has clearly won the North African country’s presidential election, securing a second five-year term, preliminary results showed on Sunday.
The election took place on Saturday in the energy-rich country, pitting Tebboune against Islamist Hassani Sharif Abdel Aali and Youssef Aouchiche of the Socialist Forces Front.
Tebboune, who took office in late 2019, received 94.6% of the vote, while Abdel Aali and Aouchiche obtained just over 3% and 2% respectively, the head of the electoral commission, Mohammed Charfi, said at a news conference.
About 48.03% of eligible voters cast their ballots, the panel said. At least 24 million eligible voters were eligible to vote.
Turnout was seen as one of the biggest challenges in Saturday’s election.
The voting period was extended by one hour to encourage more people to come and vote.
In the 2019 elections, which Tebboune won, nearly 40% of eligible voters cast their votes.
Now, the preliminary results will be sent to Algeria’s Constitutional Court, which is responsible for examining them and hearing potential appeals before the final official results are released. The process could take up to three weeks.
The 78-year-old Tebboune was the clear favorite in the vote, as he is backed by parties that hold the majority of seats in the Algerian parliament.
He was elected president in December 2019, eight months after longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to step down amid street protests and the powerful military.
Algeria, a former French colony, is an important energy supplier to Europe.
