Algerians vote as President Tebboune faces easy re-election

Algerians go to the polls on Saturday to cast their votes for president and determine who will rule their gas-rich North African country, five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.

With elections scheduled for March – earlier than expected – there was little suspense as military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune looks set to easily defeat the two challengers running against him.

The question is how many voters will stay home.

Members of Tebboune’s government and his challengers have urged voters to vote after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections undermined the government’s ability to claim it has popular support.

“I call on Algerians to vote en masse to strengthen democratic processes in our country,” said Mohamed Larbaoui, Prime Minister of Tebboune, at the polls on Saturday morning.