Algerians head to the polls on Saturday to cast votes for president and determine who will govern their gas-rich North African nation – five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.
Since elections were scheduled in March – ahead of the predicted schedule – there has been little suspense as military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appears poised to breeze to victory against the two challengers running against him.
The question is how many voters will stay home.
Members of Tebboune’s government as well as his challengers have all urged voters to cast ballots after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections marred the government’s ability to claim it enjoys the population’s support.
“I call on Algerians to vote en masse to reinforce our country’s democratic processes,” Mohamed Larbaoui, Tebboune’s Prime Minister, said at the polls on Saturday morning.