2009 Algerian presidential election

Algerian presidential election, 2009

9 April 2009

150x150px Nominee Abdelaziz Bouteflika Louisa Hanoune Party FLN PT Popular vote 12,911,705 604,258 Percentage 90.24% 4.22%

President before election Abdelaziz Bouteflika FLN Elected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika FLN

A presidential election was held in Algeria on 9 April 2009.

Removal of term limit

The Council of Ministers announced on 3 November 2008 that a planned constitutional revision would remove the two-term limit on the Presidency that was previously included in Article 74, thereby enabling President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a third term. The People's National Assembly endorsed the removal of the term limit on 12 November 2008; only the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) voted against its removal.

Candidates

Thirteen candidates had submitted papers to contest the election, but only six were approved:

• Abdelaziz Bouteflika: current president, supported by coalition of National Liberation Front and National Rally for Democracy
• Louisa Hanoune: candidate of the Trotskyist Workers' Party (PT)
• Moussa Touati: candidate of the Algerian National Front (FNA)
• Mohammed Said: independent candidate (Party of Justice and Liberty)
• Djahid Younsi: candidate of the Movement for National Reform
• Ali Fawzi Rebaine: candidate of the Ahd 54

Although some urged former President Liamine Zéroual to run, he said in a published statement on 14 January 2009 that he would not, while also suggesting that it was not in the best interests of democracy for President Bouteflika to run for a third term.

RCD President Saïd Sadi announced on 15 January 2009 that the RCD would not participate in the election, which he described as a "pathetic and dangerous circus", saying that to participate "would be tantamount to complicity in an operation of national humiliation".

Bouteflika announced his independent candidacy for a third term at a rally in Algiers on 12 February 2009, and he officially submitted his candidacy on 23 February, shortly before the deadline.

Results

 Summary of the 9 April 2009 Algerian presidential election results

Candidates and parties		votes	%
	Abdelaziz Bouteflika – National Liberation Front	12,911,705	90.24
	Louisa Hanoune – Workers' Party	604,258	4.22
	Moussa Touati – Algerian National Front	330,570	2.31
	Djahid Younsi – Movement for National Reform	176,674	1.37
	Ali Fawzi Rebaine – Ahd 54	133,129	0.93
	Mohammed Said – Party of Justice and Liberty	132,242	0.92
	Invalid votes	1,042,727	7.25
Total (turnout 74.54%)		15,351,305
Source: presse-dz.com

The official turnout was disputed by the opposition, some claiming a turnout as low as 16%. Informal US Embassy observations placed it at "25-30 percent at most."