Algerians vote for new parliament amid public apathy

ALGIERS: Algerians on Thursday voted to elect a new parliament in a ballot marked by apathy and the disqualification of several hopefuls.

About 25 million eligible voters are choosing 407 lawmakers in the lower house of parliament from 1,235 candidates amid cost-of-living concerns and shrinking freedoms, according to rights groups.

Polling stations, which opened at 8.00am local time (0700 GMT) and closed at 8.00pm, were nearly empty in the capital Algiers as of early afternoon, an AFP journalist reported.

But images broadcast on national television showed people lining up to cast their ballots in some parts of the country, including in the northwestern province of El Aricha.

Provisional results were due within 48 hours.

Voter turnout had reached 11% nationwide as of mid-afternoon and nearly 10% among those registered to cast ballots overseas, state TV reported, citing the election authority.

“We came to fulfil our duty, hoping for something good. That’s all I have to say,” Djammel Bouakkaz, a 74-year-old retiree, told AFP at a polling station in Algiers.

The last parliamentary vote in 2021 saw a historic low turnout, while this year’s is taking place amid controversy over the government’s disqualification of roughly a third of would-be candidates.

Some hopefuls have said they were blocked from competing for major constituencies, including Algiers.

The ruling National Liberation Movement (FLN) was widely expected to still dominate the 407-seat National People’s Assembly, whose members are elected for five-year terms.

Prime Minister Said Sayoud declined to comment on turnout but earlier urged citizens to take part, according to news website TSA.

Algeria had seen a record low turnout of 23% in the 2021 poll – the first since a major pro-democracy protest movement swept through the country in 2019.

The Hirak movement erupted in February of that year and led to the resignation of long-serving president Abdelaziz Bouteflika two months later.

President Abdelmajid Tebboune was elected later in 2019 and won a second term in 2024.

“Throughout this campaign, the crucial challenge has been to encourage citizens to turn out in large numbers,” wrote the local French-language daily L’Expression.