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Algeria's Ruling Party Wins Local Election
[An Nahar] The ruling National Liberation Front won Algeria's municipal and regional elections, Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia announced on Friday, in a widely-expected result.Voter turnout, considered the only real issue in Thursday's polls, was officially pegged at 44.27 percent, described by Kablia as "acceptable," as thousands had to brave poor weather conditions to cast their ballots. The FLN, which holds a majority in the National Assembly and to which President Abdelaziz  Bouteflika... 10th president of Algeria. He was elected in 1999 and is currently on his third term, which is probably why Algerians are ready to dump him... belongs, won an outright majority in 159 municipalities, out of 1,541, and scored the highest vote in 832 communes. The Rally for National Democracy (RND) of former prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia, another party in the presidential alliance, came second, winning an outright majority in 132 municipalities and highest score in 132 communes. The FLN and RND were followed by independents, which took control of 17 municipalities, and by secular opposition party the Rally for Culture and Democracy, which won 13 communes outright in the eastern Kabylie region, its heartland. A surprise winner in the elections was the new Popular Algerian Movement, which won 12 communes. Founded by Environment Minister Amara Benyounes, the party was authorized under political reforms introduced by the president in April last year, in the wake of Arab Spring unrest. Posted by: Fred 2012-12-01 |
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