Legitimacy Questions About Algerias Democracy

By William Crawford

Algeria’s constitutional court has certified the reelection of Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune. This certification comes after a recounting by the court after questions of the legitimacy of the election were raised. After recounting, the court determined that Tebboune has won a second term with 84.3% of the vote. This represents a victory over the second-place finisher of around 75 percentage points and millions more votes than his previous victory in 2019.

This recount comes after questioning by opposition candidates and notably Tebboune himself over the reliability of the previously proclaimed results. Originally, Algeria’s National Independent Election Authority declared a victory for Tebboune representing 94.7% of the vote. Very shortly after the announcement, Tebboune’s and his two closest opponent’s campaigns issued a joint statement questioning the reliability of the results.

Tebboune, in the eyes of many Algerians, represents “le pouvoir” – the military, business, and political elite that are thought to rule Algeria with very little actual support or input from the Algerian people. It is notable than, that Tebboune would question the results of an election which many, as has been common in Algeria’s history, believe to be a performance of democracy rather than a true demonstration of it. This election is also notable for claim of high voter turnout in a country where it is not at all uncommon for many eligible voters to abstain with the belief that voting equals support for le pouvior.  It is not yet known what the cause of or implication of Tebboune’s open questioning of the results means. It is thought by some to suggest infighting among perceived ruling elite of the country.

Algeria is one of the most consequential states in not just North Africa, but all of Africa and its surrounding region. With a total size of 2,381,740 sq km (the largest in Africa), population of 47,022,473, and vast quantities of fossil fuels, the stability of Algeria is crucial for its section of the world. In a region that has experienced considerable democratic backsliding in the recent past, the Algerian people’s commitment to the idea of democracy is a cause for optimism. The 2019 Hirak Protests in Algeria are still apart of the Algerian political consciousness as seen by the Algerian commitment to not participate in provably fair elections. Algeria will continue to be important to regional stability in the coming future as an ally to western counterterrorism efforts, a counterexample to the instability of many of its neighbors, and a possible substitute to Russia as Europe attempts to find alternative sources of energy.