The party in power in Algeria, the National Liberation Front (FLN), won the early legislative elections organized on Saturday, but with historic abstention, in the midst of a crisis in the country and in a climate of generalized repression.
These elections were rejected by the popular protest movement of Hirak, repressed by the government, and part of the opposition, who called for a boycott of the ballot.
The victory of the FLN is a surprise because this party was considered discredited, breathless, because of its compromise with the deposed president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, ousted from power in February 2019 by the Hirak. Even if it benefits from old and extensive implantation.
The FLN is in the lead with 105 out of 407 seats, followed by independent candidates with 78 seats, the president of the Independent National Election Authority (ANIE) said on Tuesday, 72 hours after the poll.
105
This is the number of seats obtained by the National Liberation Front (FLN).
Its traditional ally, the National Democratic Rally (RND), won 57 seats (14%).
The main Islamist formation in the country, the Society for Peace Movement (MSP, conservative), comes third with 64 seats.
The MSP, considered moderate, which had claimed victory after the election, warned against “the many attempts to change the results.” “Unfounded” statements, according to ANIE.
“The foundations of this Parliament were built in complete freedom and transparency by the people,” said Mr. Chorfi, during a press conference.
“Not the solution”
The former sole party and the main formation of the outgoing Parliament, the FLN nevertheless recorded a significant decline in the number of seats, according to the first provisional official figures. He lost more than 50 seats, only to control a quarter of the elected members of the new assembly.
“The FLN so decried in the street came first in the legislative elections. With its twin RND, the presidential alliance under #Bouteflika keeps the majority in the new Assembly. Added a few independent nicknames, tolerated Islamists, this is # Algeria new after #Hirak, ”Rahim, a surfer, laughs on Twitter.
Sign of the strong disinterest of Algerians, the participation rate – 23.03% – reached the lowest level in the history of Algeria, all elections combined, according to ANIE.
23%
This is the participation rate for the legislative elections.
“The rate is extremely low. It is a figure which shows to what extent this election, like those which preceded it, does not constitute the solution to the crisis ”, declared to AFP Louisa Dris Aït Hamadouche, professor in political sciences at the University. from Algiers.
Despite a very high number of independent candidates, the abstention is still higher than in the presidential election of 2019 and the constitutional referendum of 2020 (60% and 76% respectively).
Out of more than 24 million voters, the Authority reported 5.6 million voters, including more than a million spoiled ballots.
A first provisional participation rate of 30.20%, already very low, was announced on Sunday. But the delay in the publication of the results – because of the counting “complicated” by a new voting system – had triggered a controversy over a possible “swelling” of this figure. By way of comparison, participation had reached 35.70% during the last legislative elections in 2017, and 42.90% in 2012.
“Biggest party”
For years, analysts have called the abstention “the biggest party in Algeria”.
But President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has already chosen to ignore the turnout figure.
“For me, the turnout doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that those for whom the people vote have sufficient legitimacy, ”he argued after having voted.
78
This is the number of seats obtained by independent candidates.
The government is indeed determined to impose its electoral “road map”, ignoring the demands of Hirak: rule of law, democratic transition, popular sovereignty, independent justice.
Algerians had to choose from 2,288 lists, of which more than 1,200 were advertised as “independent”. A first. These lists were openly encouraged by power in search of renewal of its legitimacy.
The emerging assembly could therefore seal an alliance between the FLN, the RND, the independents, and moderate Islamists.
This is the first legislative since the popular uprising of the Hirak, which resulted in the resignation of Bouteflika after 20 years in power.
