Presidential elections were held in Algeria on 17 April 2014.[1] Incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was re-elected with 82% of the vote. Issues in the campaign included a desire for domestic stability after the bloody civil war of the 1990s,[2] the state of the economy (30% unemployment),[2] the frail health of the 15 year incumbent and 77-year-old president whose speech was "slurred and inaudible" in his only public outing during the campaign,[2] and the less-than-wholehearted support given the president by the normally united and discrete ruling class.[2]
Following the 2009 presidential elections, the region and the country (to a lesser degree) was engulfed by the Arab Spring. A series of protests took place between 2010 and 2012, but the country did not undergo regime change unlike neighbouring Tunisia and Libya.
The campaign officially started on 22 March 2014.[7] Bouteflika only appeared in the campaigning twice,[8] leaving others in the party to campaign.
Boycott and protestsedit
The Islamist Movement of Society for Peace announced on 25 January 2014 that it would boycott the elections.[9] The Islamic Renaissance Movement announced on 7 February 2014 that it will also boycott the vote.[10] On 22 March, about 5,000 people rallied in Algiers for a boycott due to Bouteflika seeking another term and called for reforms to the political system. Both Islamic and secular parties were present with Rally for Culture and Democracy's Mohsen Belabes saying: "The people here are the people who have been excluded, who have been put aside, but this is the real Algeria. The regime will collapse, but Algeria will survive".[11]
A movement called Barakat expressed rejection of a fourth term for Abdelaziz Bouteflika, opposed the nature of the elections, and has organized protests demanding a new political order.[12][13][14]
Opinion pollsedit
An opinion poll conducted by Echaâb in March showed the incumbent president Bouteflika winning.[15]
Conductedit
The electoral commission reported that there were just a few incidents which entailed just 130 complaints.[16] However, incidents of violence were recorded as groups of youths in the Berber-dominated Kabylie's Bouira region ransacked voting centres in Raffour, M'Chedellah and Saharij just after they opened at 7:00, with riot police then firing tear gas at them. At least 70 people were injured, including 47 policemen as voting was temporarily suspended. In Raffour, masked and armed youths with slings chanted hostile slogans and confronted the police were firing tear gas.[17]
Resultsedit
Interior Minister Taieb Belaiz announced on 18 April that Abdelaziz Bouteflika had won 81.53% of the vote, while Ali Benflis came in second with 12.18%.[18] The turnout was 51.7%, down from the 75% turnout in 2009.[19] Turnout was as low as 20.01% in Tizi Ouzou to as high as 82% in Relizane.[20] Nearly 10% of ballots cast were blank or invalid.
After the polls closed, Benflis criticised the election as having been marked by "fraud on a massive scale." The turnout figures were also criticised for allegedly being inflated by unnamed activists and opposition politicians.[19] Benflis told his supporters at his headquarters that due to the scale of the alleged fraud and irregularities: "Our history will remember this date as a great crime against the nation by stealing the voice of the citizens and blocking popular will." At the same time, Bouteflika supporters celebrated with fireworks.[16]
Referencesedit
^"Algeria set to start presidential election on April 17". Shanghai Daily. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
^ abcdGALL, CARLOTTA; ZERDOUMI, AMIR JALAL (April 13, 2014). "Discontent Swells as President of Algeria Seeks a Fourth Term". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
^"Algeria's president nominated for fourth term". Al Jazeera. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
^"Algeria's Bouteflika to run for re-election". Al Jazeera. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^"Ex-PM to run for Algeria presidency". Al Jazeera English. 19 January 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
^"Algérie: Louisa Hanoune, candidate à l'élection présidentielle" (in French). RFI. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
^"Presidential campaign kicks off". Al Jazeera. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^Mansour O El-Kikhia. "Algeria: The challenge of poor choices - Opinion". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
^. AFP. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^"Algeria's Islamist group to boycott presidential elections". Cairo Post. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
^"Thousands in Algeria call for poll boycott". Al Jazeera. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^"Algeria activists stage rare anti-gov't protest". Yahoo News. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
^"Algeria accused of protest crackdown". Al Jazeera. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
^. Al Akhbar. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
^. Algeria Press Service. 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
^ abSchemm, Paul (17 April 2014). "Opposition Cries Fraud in Algerian Election". ABC News. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^. News24. 18 April 2014. Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^"Bouteflika wins 4th term as Algerian president". Al Arabiya. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^ ab"Algeria's ailing president wins fourth term". Al Jazeera. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
^(PDF) (in French). Ministère de l'Intérieur et des Collectivités Locales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Algerian presidential election, 2014.
April 11, 2024
2014, algerian, presidential, election, presidential, elections, were, held, algeria, april, 2014, incumbent, president, abdelaziz, bouteflika, elected, with, vote, issues, campaign, included, desire, domestic, stability, after, bloody, civil, 1990s, state, ec. Presidential elections were held in Algeria on 17 April 2014 1 Incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was re elected with 82 of the vote Issues in the campaign included a desire for domestic stability after the bloody civil war of the 1990s 2 the state of the economy 30 unemployment 2 the frail health of the 15 year incumbent and 77 year old president whose speech was slurred and inaudible in his only public outing during the campaign 2 and the less than wholehearted support given the president by the normally united and discrete ruling class 2 2014 Algerian presidential election 2009 17 April 2014 2014 04 17 2019 Turnout51 70 Nominee Abdelaziz Bouteflika Ali BenflisParty FLN IndependentPopular vote 8 332 598 1 244 918Percentage 81 53 12 18 President before electionAbdelaziz BouteflikaFLN Elected President Abdelaziz BouteflikaFLN Contents 1 Background 2 Candidates 3 Campaign 3 1 Boycott and protests 4 Opinion polls 5 Conduct 6 Results 6 1 Reactions 7 References 8 External linksBackground editMain article 2010 12 Algerian protests Following the 2009 presidential elections the region and the country to a lesser degree was engulfed by the Arab Spring A series of protests took place between 2010 and 2012 but the country did not undergo regime change unlike neighbouring Tunisia and Libya Candidates editIn November 2013 the National Liberation Front endorsed the ailing incumbent Abdelaziz Bouteflika as its candidate in the race 3 Bouteflika s candidacy was confirmed by then Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal who would be later re appointed to said post in late February 4 Ali Benflis a former Prime Minister announced on 19 January 2014 that he was running for the presidency 5 Louisa Hanoune the secretary general of the Workers Party presented her candidacy on 21 January 2014 6 Campaign editThe campaign officially started on 22 March 2014 7 Bouteflika only appeared in the campaigning twice 8 leaving others in the party to campaign Boycott and protests edit The Islamist Movement of Society for Peace announced on 25 January 2014 that it would boycott the elections 9 The Islamic Renaissance Movement announced on 7 February 2014 that it will also boycott the vote 10 On 22 March about 5 000 people rallied in Algiers for a boycott due to Bouteflika seeking another term and called for reforms to the political system Both Islamic and secular parties were present with Rally for Culture and Democracy s Mohsen Belabes saying The people here are the people who have been excluded who have been put aside but this is the real Algeria The regime will collapse but Algeria will survive 11 A movement called Barakat expressed rejection of a fourth term for Abdelaziz Bouteflika opposed the nature of the elections and has organized protests demanding a new political order 12 13 14 Opinion polls editAn opinion poll conducted by Echaab in March showed the incumbent president Bouteflika winning 15 Conduct editThe electoral commission reported that there were just a few incidents which entailed just 130 complaints 16 However incidents of violence were recorded as groups of youths in the Berber dominated Kabylie s Bouira region ransacked voting centres in Raffour M Chedellah and Saharij just after they opened at 7 00 with riot police then firing tear gas at them At least 70 people were injured including 47 policemen as voting was temporarily suspended In Raffour masked and armed youths with slings chanted hostile slogans and confronted the police were firing tear gas 17 Results editInterior Minister Taieb Belaiz announced on 18 April that Abdelaziz Bouteflika had won 81 53 of the vote while Ali Benflis came in second with 12 18 18 The turnout was 51 7 down from the 75 turnout in 2009 19 Turnout was as low as 20 01 in Tizi Ouzou to as high as 82 in Relizane 20 Nearly 10 of ballots cast were blank or invalid CandidatePartyVotes Abdelaziz BouteflikaNational Liberation Front8 332 59881 53Ali BenflisIndependent1 244 91812 18Abdelaziz BelaidFuture Front343 6243 36Louisa HanouneWorkers Party140 2531 37Ali Fawzi RebaineAhd 54101 0460 99Moussa TouatiAlgerian National Front57 5900 56Total10 220 029100 00Valid votes10 220 02990 38Invalid blank votes1 087 4499 62Total votes11 307 478100 00Registered voters turnout21 871 39351 70Source Interior MinistryReactions edit After the polls closed Benflis criticised the election as having been marked by fraud on a massive scale The turnout figures were also criticised for allegedly being inflated by unnamed activists and opposition politicians 19 Benflis told his supporters at his headquarters that due to the scale of the alleged fraud and irregularities Our history will remember this date as a great crime against the nation by stealing the voice of the citizens and blocking popular will At the same time Bouteflika supporters celebrated with fireworks 16 References edit Algeria set to start presidential election on April 17 Shanghai Daily 18 January 2014 Retrieved 20 January 2014 a b c d GALL CARLOTTA ZERDOUMI AMIR JALAL April 13 2014 Discontent Swells as President of Algeria Seeks a Fourth Term New York Times Retrieved 27 May 2015 Algeria s president nominated for fourth term Al Jazeera 16 November 2013 Retrieved 20 January 2014 Algeria s Bouteflika to run for re election Al Jazeera 22 February 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 Ex PM to run for Algeria presidency Al Jazeera English 19 January 2014 Retrieved 20 January 2014 Algerie Louisa Hanoune candidate a l election presidentielle in French RFI 25 January 2014 Retrieved 29 January 2014 Presidential campaign kicks off Al Jazeera 15 April 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 Mansour O El Kikhia Algeria The challenge of poor choices Opinion Al Jazeera English Retrieved 2014 04 21 Algerian Islamists to boycott presidential election AFP 25 January 2014 Archived from the original on 19 February 2014 Retrieved 30 January 2014 Algeria s Islamist group to boycott presidential elections Cairo Post 7 February 2014 Retrieved 7 February 2014 Thousands in Algeria call for poll boycott Al Jazeera 15 April 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 Algeria activists stage rare anti gov t protest Yahoo News 15 March 2014 Retrieved 3 April 2014 Algeria accused of protest crackdown Al Jazeera 17 March 2014 Retrieved 3 April 2014 Algerian protesters denounce Bouteflika bid for a fourth presidential term Al Akhbar 6 March 2014 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 3 April 2014 Election campaign launch on front pages of national newspapers Algeria Press Service 23 March 2014 Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Retrieved 5 May 2014 a b Schemm Paul 17 April 2014 Opposition Cries Fraud in Algerian Election ABC News Retrieved 19 April 2014 70 injured as Algerian youths police clash News24 18 April 2014 Archived from the original on 18 April 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 Bouteflika wins 4th term as Algerian president Al Arabiya 18 April 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 a b Algeria s ailing president wins fourth term Al Jazeera 18 April 2014 Retrieved 19 April 2014 Elections Presidentielles du 17 Avril 2014 PDF in French Ministere de l Interieur et des Collectivites Locales Archived from the original PDF on 2014 04 19 Retrieved 19 April 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Algerian presidential election 2014 Ministry of Interior elections page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2014 Algerian presidential election amp oldid 1218234617, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
