Shafaq News/Algerians will head to the polls on Saturday for a presidential electionfeaturing three candidates from various political backgrounds.
IncumbentPresident Abdelmadjid Tebboune is widely expected to secure a second term in arace where his challengers pose little threat to the military-backedestablishment that has shaped Algerian politics since independence in 1962.
Tebboune,78, has leveraged rising gas revenues to fund generous social programs,reinforcing his appeal in a country where state subsidies are a cornerstone ofthe economy. His re-election would likely continue policies to boost Algeria'senergy exports and pursue limited market-friendly reforms while maintaining atight grip on political dissent.
FacingTebboune are two candidates—Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, from the moderateIslamist Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), and Youcef Aouchiche,representing the secular Socialist Forces Front (FFS). However, neither hasmounted a serious challenge to the president, whose tenure has been marked bystability following the 2019 Hirak protests that toppled his predecessor,Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Turnout,rather than the result, will be closely watched. In 2019, voter participationwas only 40%, as many Algerians, particularly Hirak supporters, boycotted theelection. This year, authorities hope to boost that figure among the 24.5million registered voters, though enthusiasm appears muted, with reports ofempty billboards and a lack of public excitement.
AbdelmadjidTebboune, 78, was a former National Liberation Front (FLN) member. He served invarious government positions, including two stints as housing minister and abrief term as prime minister in 2017. His premiership ended abruptly afterthree months, reportedly due to reforms that alienated business elites. Runningindependent in 2019, he distanced himself from the entrenched political system,winning nearly five million votes.
HassaniCherif, 57, a veteran politician from M'Sila, has served in both regional andnational legislatures and became the leader of the moderate Islamist MSP in2023..
YoucefAouchiche, 41, a member of the secular Socialist Forces Front (FFS), has beeninvolved in politics since his student days. He has held local and nationalpolitical roles and became the party's first national secretary in 2020.
WhileTebboune is poised for a comfortable win, the level of voter engagement willsignal how much public confidence remains in Algeria's political system afteryears of economic and political unrest.