Former prime minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune wins Algeria presidential election

Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a former Algeria prime minister has won the country’s presidential election.

In a televised news conference in Algiers, the electoral commission announced on Friday, December 13, that Tebboune, 74, secured around 4.9 million of the counted votes, ahead of Islamist candidate Abdelkader Bengrina, who won 17.38 percent of the votes (1.4 million of votes).

The figures announced by the commission also showed former Prime Minister Ali Benflis in third place with 10.55 percent of the votes (900 000 votes), while former Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi came in fourth place, with 7.26 percent of the votes (around 600 000 votes). Abdelaziz Belaid, head of el Moustakbal party, the candidate with the fewest electoral votes, obtained 6.66 percent (near 560 000 votes).

The announcement comes after Protesters took to the street to protest before the election and on the polling day, demanding the total dismantling of the system that has ruled Algeria since independence from France in 1962.

But in a statement, the commission said 40 percent of voters had taken part in Thursday’s election, which they say was enough turnout to vindicate the decision to hold the poll, in spite of a boycott.

President-elect, Abdelmadjid Tebboune was Prime Minister of Algeria from May 2017 to August 2017. He also served as Minister of Housing from 2001 to 2002 and again from 2012 to 2017.