Algerian authorities declared President Abdelmadjid Tebboune the overwhelming winner of Saturday’s election, but a rival candidate alleged irregularities in the count, and fewer than half of registered voters cast ballots. Official preliminary results gave Tebboune 95% of the vote, enough to avoid a second round run-off, with Abdelaali Hassani Cherif getting 3% and Youcef Aouchiche 2%. Turnout was 48%. Tebboune, backed by the military, was facing only nominal opposition from Hassani Cherif, a moderate Islamist, and Aouchiche, a moderate secularist.

Hassani Cherif’s campaign said polling station officials had been pressured to inflate results and alleged failures to deliver vote-sorting records to candidates’ representatives, as well as instances of proxy group voting. However, electoral commission head Mohammed Charfi said the commission had worked to ensure transparency and fair competition among all candidates.