Bouteflika Wins Algeria's Presidential Elections for the Fourth Time, April 18, 2014

Bouteflika Wins Algeria's Presidential Elections for the Fourth Time

April 18, 2014

An Algerian man holds up a picture of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika while celebrating Bouteflika's winning of his fourth term in Algiers, capital of Algeria, April 18, 2014. (Xinhua/Mohamed Kadri)

ALGIERS, April 18, 2014 (Xinhua) --

Algeria's incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a fourth term with more than 80 percent of the votes, Interior Minister Tayeb Belaiz announced on Friday.

The 77-year-old ailing president, who has made rare public appearance after a minor stroke last year, was widely expected to win the re-election with the support of the military and the ruling Front de Liberation Nationale party.

Official results showed Bouteflika garnered 81.53 percent of the votes, while his main rival Ali Benflis came second with 12.18 percent.

The youngest candidate in the race Abdelaziz Belaid came third with 3.36 percent of the votes, followed by the only female candidate Louiza Hanoune, leader of the Workers' Party, with 1.37 percent. Two other candidate, Fawzi Rebaine, leader of AHD 45 party, and Moussa Touati, head of Algerian National Front, both received less than one percent of the votes.

Belaiz said that the election results are only temporary and will be confirmed later by the Constitutional Council.

He also said that around 10,220,029 votes were validated out of 22,880,678 subscribed voters, as the 51.7-percent vote turnout was sharply down compared to the previous one.

A higher turnout was recorded in the western province of Relizane with 82 percent, while lower ones in the Berber provinces of Tizi Ouzou with 20.01 percent and in Bejaia with 23.58 percent.

However, Ali Benflis rejected the results, saying the elections were marred by "the flagrant fraud" for the benefit of President Bouteflika.

Benflis said that he will appeal the result to the Constitutional Council, calling the Algerian people to denounce the fraud and urging the political class to hold talks to examine the situation.

Editor: Shen Qing

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