Algeria's legislative elections, held on July 2, saw a record-low voter turnout of just 21 percent of the 25-million electorate, with the incumbent National Liberation Front (FLN) securing the most seats, the election board announced on Monday.
Election Results and Turnout
The FLN won 90 of the parliament's 407 seats, according to Karim Khelfane, interim head of the National Independent Elections Authority (ANIE). The previous low of 23 percent was recorded in 2021, the first election after the pro-democracy Hirak movement emerged in 2019.
Khelfane described the high abstention rate as "not specific to Algeria" and praised the elections as transparent, despite controversy over the disqualification of roughly a third of would-be candidates by the government.
Context of the Hirak Movement
The Hirak movement erupted in February 2019, leading to the resignation of long-serving President Abdelaziz Bouteflika two months later. Protests stalled in 2020 amid COVID-19 restrictions and increased repression of activists, political opponents, journalists, and bloggers.
President Abdelmajid Tebboune was first elected in December 2019 and won a second term in 2024. The current election results reflect ongoing public apathy and political challenges in the North African nation.
