Algeria: Islamists Claim Election Results Forged
Results from yesterday’s election in Algeria indicated Friday a win for the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), a surprise to those who expected a surge for the Islamists camp – the “Green Alliance of Algeria.” The Islamists reached the third place, according to official results.
This was the first general election in Algeria held since the outbreak of the Arab Spring. The participation rate reached 42.9%, a small increase over 2007 (35.67%).
The FLN won 220 out of the 462 seats, the National Democratic Rally (RND) of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia won 2nd place with 68 seats. Both parties constitute a majority in the new assembly. The Islamists, who won in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, have suffered a setback, coming in third place with 66 seats, announced Friday, Interior Minister Daho Ould Kablia.
The Islamist were quick to accuse authorities of fraud Friday after the publication of the initial results. Abderrazak Mukri and Taifour Farouk, spokesman and member of the Alliance respectively, said that their election observers had found very different results from those of the Ministry of Interior. “There is a process of fraud to change the results and it puts the country in danger,” said Mukri in Algiers. “We are not responsible for what might happen,” he added, without specifying his thought.
