2014 Algerian presidential election

Third re-election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika Algeria presidential 2009 Algerian presidential election 2009 2014 4 17 yes 2019 Algerian presidential election 2019 21,871,393 51.70% Abdelaziz Bouteflika - cropped from Secretary Clinton Addresses Reporters in Algiers (8141547674) (cropped) 3x4.jpg Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front (Algeria) 8,332,598 81.53% Ali Benflis 2019 (cropped) 3x4.png Ali Benflis Independent politician 1,244,918 12.18% 2014 Algerian presidential election results by province.svg Results by province President Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front (Algeria) Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front (Algeria) Presidential elections were held in Algeria on 17 April 2014.http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=194612 Algeria set to start presidential election on April 17 Shanghai Daily 18 January 2014 20 January 2014 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, the state of the economy (30% unemployment), the frail health of 77-year-old president Abdelaziz Bouteflika who had been in power for fifteen years, and whose speech was "slurred and inaudible" in his only public outing during the campaign, and the less-than-wholehearted support given the president by the normally united and discrete ruling class.Gall Carlotta Zerdoumi Amir Jalal Discontent Swells as President of Algeria Seeks a Fourth Term https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/world/africa/discontent-swells-as-president-of-algeria-seeks-a-fourth-term.html?ref=topics&_r=0 27 May 2015 The New York Times 13 April 2014 Background 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 In November 2013, the National Liberation Front endorsed the ailing incumbent Abdelaziz Bouteflika as its candidate in the race.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/11/algeria-president-nominated-fourth-term-20131116152823362375.html Algeria's president nominated for fourth term Al Jazeera 16 November 2013 20 January 2014 Bouteflika's candidacy was confirmed by then-Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal (who would be later re-appointed to said post) in late February. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/02/algeria-bouteflika-run-re-election-2014222125431735908.html Algeria's Bouteflika to run for re-election Al Jazeera 22 February 2014 19 April 2014 Ali Benflis, a former Prime Minister, announced on 19 January 2014 that he was running for the presidency.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/01/ex-pm-run-algeria-presidency-201412071353366449.html Ex-PM to run for Algeria presidency Al Jazeera 19 January 2014 20 January 2014 Louisa Hanoune, the secretary-general of the Workers Party, presented her candidacy on 21 January 2014.https://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140125-algerie-louisa-hanoune-candidate-election-presidentielle Algérie: Louisa Hanoune, candidate à l'élection présidentielle RFI 25 January 2014 29 January 2014 fr Campaign The campaign officially started on 22 March 2014. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/presidential-campaigns-kick-off-algeria-201432342150576634.html Presidential campaign kicks off Al Jazeera 15 April 2014 19 April 2014 Bouteflika only appeared in the campaigning twice,Mansour O El-Kikhia https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/04/algeria-challenge-poor-choices-201441661717332782.html Algeria: The challenge of poor choices - Opinion 17 April 2014 Al Jazeera 2014-04-21 leaving others in the party to campaign. Boycott and protests The Islamist Movement of Society for Peace announced on 25 January 2014 that it would boycott the elections.https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/international/532373-algerian-islamists-to-boycott-presidential-election Algerian Islamists to boycott presidential election Now 25 January 2014 30 January 2014 19 February 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140219101918/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/international/532373-algerian-islamists-to-boycott-presidential-election dead The Islamic Renaissance Movement announced on 7 February 2014 that it will also boycott the vote.http://thecairopost.com/news/86457/regional_news/algerias-islamist-group-to-boycott-presidential-elections https://web.archive.org/web/20140208150652/http://thecairopost.com/news/86457/regional_news/algerias-islamist-group-to-boycott-presidential-elections dead February 8, 2014 Algeria's Islamist group to boycott presidential elections Cairo Post 7 February 2014 7 February 2014 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". https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/thousands-algeria-call-poll-boycott-20143225249504437.html Thousands in Algeria call for poll boycott Al Jazeera 15 April 2014 19 April 2014 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.https://news.yahoo.com/algeria-activists-stage-rare-anti-govt-protest-145742769.html Algeria activists stage rare anti-gov't protest Yahoo News 3 April 2014 15 March 2014https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/algeria-accused-protest-crackdown-201431774655186191.html Algeria accused of protest crackdown Al Jazeera 3 April 2014 17 March 2014http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/18912 Algerian protesters denounce Bouteflika bid for a fourth presidential term Al Akhbar 3 April 2014 6 March 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001319/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/18912 4 March 2016 dead Opinion polls An opinion poll conducted by Echaâb in March showed the incumbent president Bouteflika winning. http://www.aps.dz/en/folder-presidential-election-2014/1691-electoral-campaign-launch-on-front-page-of-national-newspapers Election campaign launch on front pages of national newspapers 23 March 2014 Algeria Press Service 5 May 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235102/http://www.aps.dz/en/folder-presidential-election-2014/1691-electoral-campaign-launch-on-front-page-of-national-newspapers 3 March 2016 dead Conduct The electoral commission reported that there were just a few incidents which entailed just 130 complaints. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/algerians-trickle-polls-president-23357635 ABC News 19 April 2014 Opposition Cries Fraud in Algerian Election 17 April 2014 Paul Schemm 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. http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/70-injured-as-Algerian-youths-police-clash-20140417 70 injured as Algerian youths, police clash News24 19 April 2014 18 April 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140418234039/http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/70-injured-as-Algerian-youths-police-clash-20140417 18 April 2014 dead Results 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%. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/18/Algeria-s-Bouteflika-camp-claims-election-win.html Bouteflika wins 4th term as Algerian president Al Arabiya 19 April 2014 18 April 2014 The turnout was 51.7%, down from the 75% turnout in 2009. Turnout was as low as 20.01% in Tizi Ouzou to as high as 82% in Relizane. http://www.interieur.gov.dz/PublishingFiles/VAC_Cloture_Fr_17-04-14.pdf Elections Présidentielles du 17 Avril 2014 Ministère de l'Intérieur et des Collectivités Locales fr 19 April 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140419012059/http://www.interieur.gov.dz/PublishingFiles/VAC_Cloture_Fr_17-04-14.pdf 2014-04-19 dead Nearly 10% of ballots cast were blank or invalid. Abdelaziz Bouteflika National Liberation Front 8332598 Ali Benflis Independent 1244918 Abdelaziz Belaïd fr Future Front 343624 Louisa Hanoune Workers' Party 140253 Ali Fawzi Rebaine Ahd 54 101046 Moussa Touati fr Algerian National Front 57590 1087449 21871393 Interior Ministry Reactions 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. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/04/algeria-ailing-president-wins-fourth-term-2014418154859606338.html Al Jazeera 19 April 2014 18 April 2014 Algeria's ailing president wins fourth term 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. References External links Ministry of Interior elections page Algeria Presidential election Category:Presidential elections in Algeria Algeria