(3 Minutes Read)
Under the rule of military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, freedom of expression has witnessed a rollback. Journalists and opposition members are facing prison time and critical media outlets losing state advertising funding they have relied on to stay afloat
Eleven prominent Algerian opposition figures wrote an open letter this week, denouncing “the authoritarian climate” surrounding the country’s upcoming presidential election. They called for a broad democratic transition.
Under the rule of military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, freedom of expression has witnessed a rollback. Journalists and opposition members are facing prison time and critical media outlets losing state advertising funding they have relied on to stay afloat.
In their open letter, the opposition figures — including well-known politicians, lawyers and academics — said the Sep. 7 election was a rubber stamp exercise in futility as they allege lack of civil liberties makes holding a legitimate election impossible. They also underscored how the government’s security policy in preparation for the election “continues to trample on the will of the people.”
As reported by www.trendsnafrica.com, Algerian Workers’ Party leader Louisa Hanoune announced she would withdraw from the race and her party would boycott the election. She was viewed as an opposition voice that many believed legitimized the election as contested and therefore democratic. A perennial candidate who has run several times before, Hanoune said this year’s election was being held under unfair conditions and “a regressive and anti-democratic legislative framework.”
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https://trendsnafrica.com/louisa-hanoune-withdraws-from-algerian-presidential-race/
Political participation has long been low and parties have for decades boycotted elections, unconvinced that they can usher in meaningful change in a country where the military plays an influential role in politics. Besides Tebboune, 14 candidates will run in the election. Campaigning is scheduled to hit full swing in the coming couple of weeks.
