Algerian presidential election, 1999

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Algerian presidential election, 1999

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  Bouteflika (Algiers, Feb 2006).jpeg Ahmed Taleb Ibahimi.jpg
Nominee Abdelaziz Bouteflika Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi
Party FLN Independent
Popular vote7 445 045 1 265 594
Percentage73,8 % 12,5 %
President before election

Liamine Zéroual
FLN

Elected President

Abdelaziz Bouteflika
FLN

Algeria
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This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Algeria

The 1999 Algerian presidential election took place on 15 April 1999 to elect the President of Algeria. Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected with 73.8% of the vote after the other six candidates withdrew on the eve of the election.

President of Algeria head of state of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria

The President of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces.

Algeria country in North Africa

Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. The capital and most populous city is Algiers, located in the far north of the country on the Mediterranean coast. With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 sq mi), Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the largest in Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes (counties). It has the highest Human development index of all non-island African countries.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika President of Algeria

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, GColIH is an Algerian politician who has been the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1979. As President, he presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002, and he ended emergency rule in February 2011 amidst regional unrest. He was the president of the United Nations General Assembly for a term in 1974.

Contents

Background

Incumbent president Liamine Zeroual announced in September 1998 that early presidential elections would be held in February 1999. He also said that he would not be a candidate in the election, in a move which was reported as being due to infighting within the Algerian army. [1] The election was later set for the 15 April and the official campaign began on the 25 March. [2] The government set up a panel to oversee the election, the Independent National Commission for Monitoring the Presidential Election (CNISEP) and President Zeroual called upon all government officials to stay neutral. [3]

The incumbent is the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the Hungarian presidential election, 2017, János Áder was the incumbent, because he had been the president in the term before the term for which the election sought to determine the president. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.

The election took place to the backdrop of continuing conflict in the Algerian Civil War. Restoring peace to the country was the major issue for the election. [2]

Algerian Civil War 1991-2002 civil war in Algeria

The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian Government and various Islamic rebel groups which began in 1991 following a coup negating an Islamist electoral victory. The war began slowly as it first appeared the government had successfully crushed the Islamist movement, but armed groups emerged to fight jihad and by 1994, violence had reached such a level that it appeared the government might not be able to withstand it. By 1996–7 however it became clear that the violence and predation of the Islamists had lost its popular support, although fighting continued for several years after.

Candidates

The frontrunner was a former foreign minister, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was supported by much of the military and establishment. Bouteflika had the backing of the two main parties in the governing coalition and said that he would work to increase trust in the government and would not rule out talking to anyone. [2] Pro-government newspapers described Bouteflika as the "national consensus candidate". [4]

A foreign minister or minister of foreign affairs is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations.

The other candidates included Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, a former education and foreign minister, who received backing from the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). He supported talking with the FIS and for the military to withdraw from politics. Another candidate Abdallah Djaballah, the founder of the Movement for National Reform, called for a government of national unity to be formed. [5]

Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi Algerian physician

Dr. Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi is an Algerian politician and intellectual.

Islamic Salvation Front political party

The Islamic Salvation Front was a Sunni Islamist political party in Algeria. The party had two major leaders representing its two bases of its support. Abbassi Madani appealed to pious small businessmen, and Ali Belhadj appealed to the angry, often unemployed youth of Algeria.

Abdallah Djaballah Algerian politician

Saad Abdallah Djaballah is an Algerian politician and leader of the Movement for National Reform, an Islamist political party that he led in a breakout from the Islamic Renaissance Party (al-Nahda), which he had created but lost control over. Djaballah stood for the presidency twice, in 1999 and 2004. In the former contest, he withdrew along with all other opposition candidates just hours before voting commenced. In 2004, he came in third place in the elections, with about 5 percent of the vote.

Two former prime ministers were candidates. Mouloud Hamrouche, prime minister from 1989 to 1991 was a former member of the governing National Liberation Front (FLN) who had fallen out with the leaders of the party. Mokdad Sifi was prime minister from 1993 to 1995 and was backed by part of the National Rally for Democracy (RND) which did not support Bouteflika. He opposed an amnesty or negotiations with murderers of women and children. [5]

Prime Minister of Algeria position

The Prime Minister of Algeria is the head of government of Algeria.

Mouloud Hamrouche was the head of government of Algeria from 5 September 1989 to 5 June 1991. He was born in Constantine, Algeria. He was a leading member of the FLN. However, after serving as head of government of Algeria he became involved in serious disputes with other party leaders who he said were too close to the army. He ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the 1999 presidential elections.

National Liberation Front (Algeria) political party in Algeria

The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was the principal nationalist movement during the Algerian War and the sole legal and the ruling political party of the Algerian state until other parties were legalised in 1989.

Youcef Khatib was an independent candidate and former advisor to President Zeroual's 1995 election campaign. Lastly Hocine Aït Ahmed, the founder of the Socialist Forces Front, campaigned by calling for Algeria to be neither a military dictatorship or Islamic fundamentalist state. Near the end of the campaign Ahmed had a heart attack and had to go to Switzerland for treatment. [5]

Withdrawal

Less than 24 hours before the election six of the seven presidential candidates withdrew claiming the election would not be fair. [6] The candidates claimed that electoral fraud by the army ensured that Bouteflika would win the election. Among other things they said that voter lists were being padded and extra ballot papers being printed to support Bouteflika. [7]

Outgoing President Zeroual refused to meet the candidates to discuss their grievances and criticised the candidates for withdrawing, describing the move as illegal. [6] [8]

Election results

Official figures showed turnout to be just over 60% with Bouteflika winning easily. However other candidates said that the turnout was very low, with Ibrahimi saying it had really only been about 25%. [8]

e  •  d  Summary of the 15 April 1999 Algerian presidential election results
Candidates - partyvotes%
Abdelaziz Bouteflika - National Liberation Front (FLN)7,445,04573.8
Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi 1,265,59412.5
Abdallah Djaballah - Movement for National Reform 400,0804.0
Mouloud Hamrouche 314,1603.1
Mokdad Sifi 226,1392.2
Youcef Khatib 121,4141.2
Hocine Aït Ahmed - Socialist Forces Front (FFS)32,1790.3
Total (turnout 60.9%)10,652,623 
Source:Algeria 1999 Presidential Election

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References

  1. ↑ "Algeria president springs suprise (sic)". BBC Online . 1998-09-11. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  2. 1 2 3 "Algeria launches election campaign". BBC Online . 1999-03-25. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  3. ↑ "Algeria to go to polls". BBC Online . 1999-02-13. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  4. ↑ "Algerian army plays with fire". Al-Ahram . 1999-03-18. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  5. 1 2 3 "Profile: The candidates who pulled out". BBC Online . 1999-04-15. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  6. 1 2 "Algerian Election Turmoil". CBS News . 1999-04-14. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  7. ↑ Burns, John F. (1999-04-16). "With a Field Reduced to One, Algerians Vote". The New York Times . Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  8. 1 2 "Algerian fury over poll result". BBC Online . 1999-04-16. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
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