Algerian election results: narrow win for FLN and improved voter turnout

30/11/2007

The FLN maintained its dominance in Algeria's local assemblies, earning 30% of seats in the November 29th elections. Most parties declared the elections fair, despite minor breaches in polling stations across the country.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 30/11/07

[Getty Images] The FLN secured a narrow victory in Thursday's local elections.

Results announced this morning in Algeria’s local and regional elections called a narrow victory for the National Liberation Front. With 30% of the seats in local assemblies, the FLN remains the country’s leading political force after the Thursday (November 29th) double election.

In spite of bad weather which hit the north of the country on the day of the poll, the reported 44.09% voter turnout is a marked increase over the 36.6% that participated in the May 17th legislative elections.

The National Democratic Rally (RND) came back strongly in the elections, earning 24.5% of seats. The Algerian National Front (FNA) continued its rise up the political ladder, finishing third with 11.29%.

El Islah, which had come third in the 2002 local and regional elections, slipped down to 9th, winning only 1.48% of the seats being contested. The other Islamist party, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), won 10.69% of seats, followed by the Workers’ Party (PT) which was making its local election debut and won a 6.85% share. The Rally for Culture and Democracy took 4.35% of the seats, the Socialist Forces Front (4.05%), independents (3.88%) and the Ennahda movement (1.57%).

Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said the relatively high turnout, despite the bad weather hitting the north of the country, was the result of citizens' interest in the local elections, which he said directly concern them.

Zerhouni added that security provisions were adequate and that the elections took place in an atmosphere of calm, although "unfortunately, some breaches were observed in a small number of polling stations without having an impact on the election results."

Several parties expressed satisfaction with election conditions. FLN communications chief Said Bouhadja highlighted the smooth execution of the polling across the country, especially inland where there was a "significant level" of turnout. Nevertheless, Bouhadja did mention "irregularities committed by certain agents of the authorities", who he said had acted "in accordance with their political affiliations".

MSP chairman Bouguerra Soltani reported 150 cases of irregularities across the country, but he described them as "minimal" and said they had "no effect on the smooth running of the elections".

Workers' Party spokesman Djeloul Djoudi also mentioned irregularities, but stressed that his party had fully exercised its rights to observe the elections. He maintained they had generally proceeded in an acceptable manner.

FNA chairman Moussa Touati also praised the conduct of the elections, but said certain irregularities had required intervention by security forces to restore order.