TEHRAN (Defapress) - President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria has been declared the clear victor of the presidential election held on Sunday, a result that elicited little surprise among observers.
The independent electoral authority reported that Tebboune secured 94% of the votes, significantly surpassing his opponents: Islamist candidate Abdelali Hassani Cherif, who garnered 3.2%, and socialist candidate Youcef Aouchiche, who received 2.2%.
Election officials indicated that fewer than 6 million of the 24 million eligible voters participated in the election on Saturday, continuing the trend of low voter turnout that characterized Tebboune's initial term and raising concerns regarding his level of public support. The high rates of abstention, which remain unofficial, would exceed the participation rate of 39.9% recorded in the 2019 presidential election.
This victory allows the 78-year-old leader to embark on another term at the helm of the gas-rich North African country, five years after pro-democracy protests resulted in the removal of his predecessor. Should he complete his second term, he will be 83 years old.