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PRESIDENT ABDELMADJID TEBBOUNE has been named the winner in Algeria’s presidential election, but has joined rivals in questioning the results of the landslide success.
The country’s independent election authority on Sunday announced Mr Tebboune had won 94.7% of Saturday’s vote, outpacing his challengers Islamist Abdelali Hassani Cherif, who received only 3.2% and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, who got just 2.2%.
After both of Mr Tebboune’s opponents questioned the results after they were reported on Sunday, the three campaigns jointly issued a statement accusing the country’s election chairman of announcing results that contradicted earlier turnout figures and local tallies.
In a country where elections have been carefully choreographed, questions about irregularities shocked Algerians who expected Mr Tebboune to win in an uneventful fashion.
It is unclear what will follow all three candidates casting doubt on irregularities and whether they will prompt legal challenges or delay the final certification of the result.
The tally reported on Sunday gave Mr Tebboune a total vote share that was far more than the 87% that Vladimir Putin won in Russia’s March elections.
Efforts from Mr Tebboune and members of his government to encourage voter turnout to project legitimacy appeared to have fallen short, with less than one out of every four voters participating.
Election officials on Sunday reported that 5.6 million of the country’s roughly 24 million voters had turned out to vote. Such high abstention rates, which remain unofficial, would surpass the 2019 presidential election when 39.9% of the electorate participated.
Officials did not explain why they had announced 48% voter turnout at the time of polls closing.
Before the three candidates joined in questioning the discrepancy, both of Mr Tebboune’s challengers raised questions about it, citing their tallies.
Mr Aouchiche called it “strange” while Ahmed Sadok, Mr Cherif’s campaign manager, blasted delays and the way the figure was calculated.
“It’s a shame. It’s an attack on the image of Algeria, which will become the laughing stock of nations,” Mr Sadok said earlier in the day.
He also said there had been a failure to deliver vote-sorting records to the candidates’ representatives and that the party had recorded instances of proxy group voting and pressure put on poll workers to inflate certain figures.
Claims of irregularities cap off an election season that outraged activists and civil society groups. Human rights advocates railed against the campaign season’s repressive atmosphere and the harassment and prosecutions of those involved in opposition parties, media organisations and civil society groups.
Amnesty International last week condemned Algeria’s “brutal crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in the run-up to the country’s presidential elections.”
Before the candidates questioned the results, Mr Tebboune’s supporters and detractors had drawn conclusions from the results.
Pro-Tebboune university professor Abdellaoui Djazouli said on public television that the result was a resounding endorsement of Mr Tebboune’s program.
“The President has more legitimacy to continue his action to better establish his project for the new Algeria,” he said on public television.
But his runaway victory fueled criticism from pro-democracy activists who have long seen elections as tools that the country’s political elites have used to give off an appearance of popular support.
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I’m so sad to hear this. “The Price is Right” was a staple tv show of my childhood. R.I.P Brucie :(
Nice to see you
@Maurice Wrenn: to see you.. nice :(
@Maurice Wrenn: to see you nice
@Maurice Wrenn: To see you nice.
@Maurice Wrenn: To see you nice!
@Maurice Wrenn: To see you, nice.
If you grew up in the 80′s or 90′s. He was a staple in your weekend viewing. It was a pleasure watching him. Such a great entertainer and legend.
@Nathan Natedog: I grew up in the fifties and sixties and he was my weekend tv then.
The end of a era and a legend R.I.P.
Higher than 89 you say?
He was a good oul entertainer down through the years.
Awwwh. Rest in Peace.
Ah no way. Cool guy. Sorry to see him leave.
Watched him for many years when I was growing up. Absolute legend. RIP Brucey
Thanks for the memories Bruce!
Such an icon of TV. RIP
Nice to see you too see you nice, Brucie. RIP.
89 didn’t he do well!!!
Lovely guy and brilliant showman
Rest in peace
POOR OLE BRUCE. GREAT ENTERTAINER. R.I.P.
My day ruined
He had a good innings and brought many laughs and smiles.
I wonder if he is gone to a higher place or a lower place….higher or lower….higher or lower…#legend R.I.P
always when i see Brucie i think of play your cards right &the spinning cards.i wont be able to get that tune out of my head now. RIp Bruce
Nice to see you
To see you nice
RIP and thanks for the entertainment through the years
See his wife….#didnt he do well # nice
@Paul Mcintyre: and won’t she do well. $$$
Thanks Brucie! Nice to see you…. to see you……..
Definately the End of an Era, he always looked so well for a man of his age, but the Grim Reaper gets us all in the end. May he R.i.P.
:(
Lord Rest Brucie. Thanks for all smiles you gave us!
Brucie – could have made the Rose of Tralee watchable…\•/…
@Fank Pulman: a true compliment!
@Fank Pulman: Possibly, but the Rose of Tralee is an Irish production always only hosted by an Irish presenter, so Bruce could never qualify for consideration.
‘Nice to see you to see nice’ end of a era of one of the greats of British Comedy very few of his vintage left.
One of the great links between the era of Music Hall and modern entertainment has passed away. Truly, one of the outstanding British entertainers of the 20th century. For anyone above the age of 5 in the 1960s ,1970s, 1980s, his presence may not have been FULLY appreciated at the time, but he was huge. In comparison to the talentless dross passing for entertainers today, one can, in hindsight, appreciate that he was the product of an entertainment world, where only the truly talented could succeed.Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
Very sad, RIP.
He had a good innings and great legacy . Who can ask for more ?
Met Bruce at a charity golf event in England when I was a young fella ,, nothing but a cranky old git he was ,, won’t be missing him
@Donal O Cofaigh: Feeling better now you got that off your chest Donal? If you want to see what a cranky old git looks like – take a look in the mirror.
@Donal O Cofaigh: never meet your heroes!
@Donal O Cofaigh: and you sound so nice yourself :)
@Donal O Cofaigh: great showman but i did hear he cud be a b###x
@Donal O Cofaigh: did your mother never reach you the old saying “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing”
@pats brandon: oh sorry ,, I’m supposed to say he was great ! Up yours pats haha
@Peter Cavey: sorry I should of lied
@Donal O Cofaigh: sounds like you’re turning into him then! His job was to entertain which he did. How he acted in his private life was his own business.
@Donal O Cofaigh: you should learn to speak English
@Donal O Cofaigh: no. You should have kept your opinion to yourself!
One of the best and the last greats on Tv
Boundless energy for decades
Brit favourite as he had no airs or graces
Brucie….doddery or not…. I still loved your corny jokes on Strictly. You are a legend. R.I.P.
Bye Bruce thanks for all the entertainment over the years will miss you r.i.p
Nice to have seen him, seen him. NIIICE. Cheerio Brucie
Any reason why you omitted to mention his knighthood, bestowed in 2011?
A real Gentleman RIP
A great part of my growing up and the cause of countless smiles. Goodbye old friend RIP
He was known as the Guvnor to his peers,and with good reason.Best showman ever I think
RIP Brucie
Truly a great entertainer, many of today’s ‘celebrities’ could learn a lot from his performances.
The quintessential host and all round entertainer, an icon.
RIP Sir.
Great entertainer, never a dull moment. R.I.P.
Was supposedly one of the ‘biggest’ stars on TV -may explain how he bagged a Miss World
89 a great age. Had he hung on a few more months the crack would have been 90.
I’ll have to make a note of that.
Roger Moore, John Hurt and now this. Almost too much to bear
I thought he was lower than 89 or was he higher? RIP Bruce great entertainer.
A consummate professional who lived to a good age. His episode of HIGNFY shows just what a great entertainer he was across a lot of generations.
So sad
“Higher than a 10……..KING” Yes you were Sir
Thanks so much for all the childhood Saturday night laughter..will miss you man…
Here they are they’re so appealing- come on dollies do your dealing…
Was he higher or lower than 89?
Higher ..Lower..
RI Bruce…Cha Cha Chat to you later
Another one bites the dust. Bye
Sad loss rip Bruse
A really nice man.A star for years ,and loved/watched many of his tv shows.RIP Bruce,I know you will get your bonus above.
On of the all-time great TV personalities. RIP
Lets av a look at the old scoreboard
And don’t forget the cuddly toy……
A true gentleman of the screen. May he rest in peace.
Lower, Lower!!!
His performance before 1974 FA cup final is still very funny. RIP Bruce. Generation Game in the 70s was must-see viewing for us lucky enough to have BBC.
RIP Bruce. Never liked him myself but he was always about.
Sad, RIP…
RIP. Great entertainer.
Decent, funny, respectful and at times predictable. But always enjoyed. Didn’t watch “Strictly”. But his longevity was due to his ability to be natural and friendly. Consummate professional and nice fella. Rest in eternal peace. Codladh sámh.
The definition of the word “Entertainer” rip brucie
Great entertainer, RIP Bruce.
Not a bad looking rich wife.
@Pat Troy: Didn’t take you long did it?
@Pat Troy: she’s just lost her partner in life but you know being a t!t was more important to you.
@Deborah Behan: well she’s not.was a miss world.
Nice too see u too see u nice ! …. Rip
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