Algerian presidential candidate raises concerns over election irregularities

In a statement released on Sunday, Abdelali’s campaign alleged administrative misconduct by the Independent National Authority for Elections, particularly during the signature collection phase and in the management of media coverage during the campaign.

“This national electoral process has been marred by unacceptable administrative practices from the Independent National Authority for Elections, notably concerning the announcement of results related to the collection of citizens’ signatures and the media coverage of candidates,” the statement read.

The campaign highlighted issues such as delays and the declaration of participation rates after midnight, with voting officially closing at 8 PM but extended by four hours.

They also questioned the legitimacy of the reported participation rates, noting discrepancies in the vote count and the use of the unusual term “average participation rate” for domestic regions, along with the absence of clear data on overseas participation.

The statement continued: “Despite these issues, we have submitted written protests to the national authority, underscoring its failure to manage voter turnout on election day.

Participation rates were released well after the polling stations had closed, casting doubt on the accuracy of the figures.”

Abdelali’s campaign also lamented the resurgence of past electoral malpractices, including undue pressure on some polling station supervisors to inflate results, refusal to provide vote count records to candidate representatives, and instances of group voting via proxies.

“Unfortunately, we have observed a return to old practices that should have been eliminated, including pressuring polling station staff to inflate results, denying tally sheets to candidates’ representatives, and proxy voting on a mass scale,” the statement said.

The campaign concluded by reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability: “While we await the announcement of the provisional results, we affirm our responsibility first to the voters and then to our supporters, to fully clarify the circumstances and issues surrounding the electoral process and its potential outcomes, and to declare an appropriate stance.”

The Algerian election authority reported that the initial voter turnout within the country reached 48.03% when polling stations closed.

For overseas voters, the participation rate was notably lower, standing at 19.57%.

As Algeria stands at a pivotal political moment, the allegations of electoral irregularities raised by Abdelali’s campaign are likely to intensify scrutiny on the electoral process and its credibility.