Campaigning in Algeria’s controversial presidential election has concluded, and voting will take place on Thursday, Dec. 12. Last Friday, Dec. 6, huge, peaceful demonstrations across the country rejected the election; the protest movement insists on a transition government led by figures outside the current ruling system before any election can be held. All major opposition parties are calling for a boycott. Following the Dec. 6 marches, the protest movement also called for a general strike. Adherence to the strike was mixed nationwide, but it has shut down much of two major cities in the predominantly Berber region east of Algiers. That region is especially hostile to the election, and the five presidential candidates held no rallies there. Some municipalities have pledged not to open voting stations.
Algeria’s first ever televised debate between presidential candidates did not diminish the opposition to the election, and the carefully managed questions put to them avoided the most sensitive topics, such as the role of the army and corruption in the state. The candidates all expressed some sympathy with the protest movement, but government officials are mobilizing smaller marches backing the election. On Dec. 9 in downtown Algiers the police broke up an opposition student march while allowing a nearby pro-election rally organized by the government-controlled labor union. Some government officials and media have hinted at foreign conspiracies that seek to undermine the election process. Army chief Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah, the key driver behind the election, warned that security forces would react harshly to any attempts to impede the voting process. Amnesty International and Algerian activists claim the government has stepped up arrests; Amnesty says 300 persons are in detention.
Voting started on Saturday for Algerians outside the country, and media reports indicate turnout so far has been light. On Dec. 8 the Algerian election commission said simply that the turnout has been “acceptable.” The Army and government want to show a turnout of nearly 50 percent or more that would compare with that of some Western democracies. There likely will be another huge protest march on Friday, Dec. 13, contesting the election’s legitimacy and that of the new president.
Robert Ford is a Senior Fellow at MEI.
Photo by RYAD KRAMDI/AFP via Getty Images
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