Candidate, former PM rejects re-elected Algerian president

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 10, 2004

Candidate, former PM rejects re-elected Algerian president

Former Prime Minister Ali Benflis rejected Friday the election results which showed a landslide victory for his arch-rival, the incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Former Prime Minister Ali Benflis rejected Friday the election results which showed a landslide victory for his arch-rival, the incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Benflis, dismissed by the president a year ago, alleged irregularities "at thousands of polling stations across the country."

He also vowed to appeal to the Constitutional Council that validates electoral results, which he described as "against the will of the people."

The Interior Ministry said Bouteflika won his second five-year term with 83 percent of Thursday's vote, followed by Benflis with just eight percent.

The national turnout is 58 percent, about two percentage pointslower than the last general election, said the ministry.

Two other failed candidates, Abdallah Djeballah of the radical Islamic al-Islah (The Reform) party and Kabylie regional leader Said Sadi, also rejected the election results over the charge of fraud.

They had sought to hold a protest, but were repelled by riot police.

Meanwhile, supporters of the president flooded the street throughout the capital in celebration of the Bouteflika's sweepingvictory.

The 67-year-old president is noted for his efforts during his five-year term to have dragged the North African country out of a 12-year bloody Islamic insurgency and the ensuing international isolation.

Source: Xinhua

Questions?Comments? Click here

China tries to break Boeing, Airbus domination with self-made aircraft ( 6 Messages)

Will "Section 301" affect Chinese economy? ( 2 Messages)

Taiwanese businessmen further expand investment in Chinese mainland ( 2 Messages)

Japanese court rules PM's shrine visit "unconstitutional" ( 12 Messages)

China urges US to honor promise on Taiwan issue ( 4 Messages)

How the US could improve its image abroad ( 202 Messages)