Change of electoral calendar. Algeria announced Thursday, March 21, the holding of an “anticipated” presidential election on September 7, 2024, three months before the date initially planned.
“It was decided to organize an early presidential election on September 7, 2024,” indicated the presidency of the republic in a press release published after a meeting chaired by the head of state, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in presence in particular of its Prime Minister, the heads of the two houses of Parliament, the chief of staff of the army and the president of the Constitutional Court.
“The electoral body will be convened on June 8, 2024,” added the press release.
Mandate about to expire
The last presidential election, won by Abdelmadjid Tebboune with 58% of the votes and marked by a strong abstention, took place on December 12, 2019. He succeeded Abdelaziz Bouteflika, forced to resign in 2019 under pressure from the army and Hirak, a popular protest movement. He died in September 2021.
Very weakened by a stroke in 2013, Abdelaziz Bouteflika still ran for a fourth term in 2014, and tried to obtain a fifth in 2019, provoking the wave of protests which pushed him to resign.
In addition to opposition to a new mandate for Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Hirak had expanded to demands for political reforms and increased freedoms.
Surprise announcement
Abdelmadjid Tebboune's five-year term was due to expire next December. No reason has been given to explain the early holding of the next election.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 78, has not yet announced whether he will run for a second term. He was hospitalized for several months in Germany after contracting Covid at the end of 2020.
In a report published in February, the NGO Amnesty International affirmed that the Algerian authorities continued to "repress the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly", by "targeting critical voices of dissent", five years later the Hirak pro-democracy demonstrations.
The Algerian government's decision to bring forward the voting date seems to have surprised observers.
Reacting to speculation in the French media on a possible postponement of the vote, the official Algerian agency APS stated on February 24 that "the elections will take place in time as provided for by the Constitution, and this out of respect for the Constitution and for the Algerian people, the sole holder of sovereignty.
Heavy colonial liabilities
The Algerian presidency even announced on March 11 that Abdelmadjid Tebboune would make a state visit to France "at the end of September-beginning of October".
This visit has been postponed several times against a backdrop of recurring hot and cold weather between the two countries.
The visit, first scheduled for early May 2023, was postponed until June of the same year, with Algerians fearing that it would be spoiled by the May 1 demonstrations against the highly contested pension reform in France, according to sources. concordant.
But Abdelmadjid Tebboune never confirmed his arrival, which was to mark an improvement between the two countries after a number of diplomatic crises. On the other hand, he went on a state visit to Russia at the same time, which was perceived as a disavowal for Paris.
In December, Algiers again assured that the conditions for a visit were "not suitable", then mentioning five issues to be resolved beforehand, including those of memory, mobility, economic cooperation and French nuclear tests in the Sahara Algerian.
The question of French colonization (1830-1962) still weighs very heavily between the two countries.
With AFP
The France 24 summary of the week
invites you to look back at the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 application