Dec 13, 2019

Win for insider in presidential election sparks protests in Algeria

Newly-elected Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune. Photo: Billal Bensalem/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The announcement of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a former prime minister, as the winner of Algeria's presidential election was met with protests on Friday, Al Jazeera reports.

Why it matters: Tebboune will be the country's first elected president since pro-democracy protesters ousted ex-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April. However, many Algerians consider this election a sham since all five presidential candidates had ties to the Bouteflika and the ruling elite.

  • Tebboune served as prime minister in 2017 under Bouteflika and is a known army loyalist.
  • Protesters called for a boycott of the vote which led to a turnout of just 41%. Tebboune won 58.15% of the votes cast.

Go deeper: Algeria's president to step aside after mass protests

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