Algeria's next election is scheduled for September 7, with first-term President Abdelmadjid Tebboune given more than five months to campaign for a second term leading the oil-rich North African country. A reprieve will be granted.
Tebboune's office announced the date in a statement after a meeting with a group that included parliamentarians, senior officials from the Constitutional Court and independent election authorities.
Zuvida Assoul of the Alliance for Change and Progress is the only one to come forward to challenge Tebboune in his pursuit of a second term leading the country of 44 million people, which faces growing political and economic challenges. It is.
The announcement surprised the public, as elections in Algeria were expected to be held in December 2024, and prompted speculation among observers as to the basis for the change.
Azul, a 67-year-old lawyer known for defending political prisoners, said in an announcement three weeks ago that he was running because he “believes we can change the course of events.”
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune holds a press conference (Fateh Gidum/AP)
In December of the same year, he emerged victorious in a low-turnout election held in the aftermath of a mass movement that led to the resignation of his predecessor.
Activists boycotted the vote and stormed polling stations to protest the election and demand a broad overhaul of the political system.
After winning with the support of a powerful general, Tebboune met with protesters and vowed to fight the corruption they detest.
He initially released some of the imprisoned young people who took part in the Hirak protests, but throughout his nearly four-and-a-half year term, Algeria was forced to shut down activists and a once-active free press that criticized the government. The penalties for both have been strengthened. .
State spending and the overall economy remain heavily dependent on oil and gas, and inflation, unemployment, and food shortages continue to plague the economy, despite an increase in natural gas revenues with the start of the Ukraine war.
