Campaign official claims Algerian president re-elected

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 09, 2004

Campaign official claims Algerian president re-elected

A campaign official of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said Thursday that the incumbent president won re-election in the presidential race.

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A campaign official of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said Thursday that the incumbent president won re-election in the presidential race.

"The election was fair. The information we have so far shows that our candidate is ahead of others. It's clear there will be nosecond round," a spokesman of Bouteflika's campaign said.

Official results were not expected until midday Friday, but Bouteflika's supporters began celebrations across the capital, dancing in the streets and waving national flags from cars, balconies and rooftops.

The campaign official said the 67-year-old president, who is credited with helping the North African country out of a 12-year bloody Islamic insurgency, was set to easily collect 70 percent ofthe votes, much more than the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff on April 22.

The insurgency claimed some 15,000 lives and resulted in ensuing international isolation.

The Interior Ministry said the turnout was 58 percent compared with the 47 percent in legislative elections in 2002.

Bouteflika's arch-rival, former Prime Minister Ali Benflis, whowas dismissed by Bouteflika a year ago, complained of widespread fraud in the polls and attempted to hold rallies in downtown Algiers.

Source: Xinhua

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