By RFPosted on 08-12-2019Modified on 08-12-2019 at 21:59
At four days of the presidential election in Algeria, the five candidates in contention held this Sunday, December 8 their last press conferences and their final meetings.
This last day of the election campaign was a reflection of the whole: without brilliance. Former Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi visited three cities in the center-east of the country where he made promises of economic and cultural development. Abdelkader Bengrina went to Ouargla, his hometown, 800 km south of Algiers. He was greeted by a large crowd.
Abdelaziz Belaid and Abdelmadjid Tebboune remained in the capital where they gave press conferences. Just like Ali Benflis, who held meeting in a half empty room.
After 22 days of election campaign and an unprecedented televised debate , none of the five candidates in the presidential election seems to stand out in public opinion. The five men held rallies mainly in the southern and central cities, not far north. This is where the majority of Algerians live.
The candidates have made promises of development, have not taken a stand on the protest movement that has lasted for 10 months and have not made any pronouncement on the issue of the release of incarcerated protests.
Some rallies were heckled, activists were arrested. The press speaks of an unpredictable, embarrassed, difficult, indifferent campaign. And finally, despite the authorities' statements that this election was vital for the country, the campaign was not very popular.
By Thursday, candidates will no longer have to speak in public. The vote that began abroad, also begins this Monday for nomadic populations of the country.
On the same subject
Algerian presidential election: the diaspora called to the polls
Human tide in Algiers for the last Friday before the presidential election
Algeria: demonstration for the presidential elections in Algiers
Algeria: 41st Friday of protest to say "no" to the presidential
comments