Algerian presidential election, 2009

Algerian presidential election, 2009

2004 ← 9 April 2009 → 2014

Nominee Abdelaziz Bouteflika Louisa Hanoune Party National Liberation Front Workers' Party (Algeria) Popular vote 12,911,705 604,258 Percentage 90.24% 4.22%

President before election Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front Elected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front

Algeria

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Algeria

Constitution President (List) Abdelaziz Bouteflika Prime Minister (List) Ahmed Ouyahia Cabinet Parliament Council of the Nation People's National Assembly Political parties Elections Presidential: 2004, 2009 Parliamentary: 2007, 2012 Provinces Communes Foreign relations

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A presidential election was held in Algeria on 9 April 2009. It was described in a US Embassy in Algiers cable as "carefully choreographed and heavily controlled", with the official turnout figure "exaggerated".^[1]

Removal of term limit

The Council of Ministers announced on 3 November 2008 that a planned constitutional revision would remove the two-term limit on the Presidency that was previously included in Article 74, thereby enabling President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a third term.^[2] The People's National Assembly endorsed the removal of the term limit on 12 November 2008; only the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) voted against its removal.^[3]

Candidates

Thirteen candidates had submitted papers to contest the election, but only six were approved:^[4]

• Abdelaziz Bouteflika: current president, supported by coalition of National Liberation Front and National Rally for Democracy
• Louisa Hanoune: candidate of the Trotskyist Workers' Party (PT)
• Moussa Touati: candidate of the Algerian National Front (FNA)
• Mohammed Said: independent candidate (Party of Justice and Liberty)
• Djahid Younsi: candidate of the Movement for National Reform
• Ali Fawzi Rebaine: candidate of the Ahd 54

Although some urged former President Liamine Zéroual to run, he said in a published statement on 14 January 2009 that he would not, while also suggesting that it was not in the best interests of democracy for President Bouteflika to run for a third term.^[5]

RCD President Saïd Sadi announced on 15 January 2009 that the RCD would not participate in the election, which he described as a "pathetic and dangerous circus", saying that to participate "would be tantamount to complicity in an operation of national humiliation".^[3]

Bouteflika announced his independent candidacy for a third term at a rally in Algiers on 12 February 2009,^[6] and he officially submitted his candidacy on 23 February, shortly before the deadline.^[7]

Results

The official turnout was disputed by the opposition, some claiming a turnout as low as 16%.^[8] Informal US Embassy observations placed it at "25-30 percent at most."^[9]

References

External links

Wikinews has related news: President of Algeria wins third term in office in landslide victory

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