08
Sep
Less than half of Algeria's eligible voters cast their ballots in Saturday's presidential election, according to preliminary figures released early Sunday by the country's electoral authority, ANIE. The turnout rate was reported at 48 percent, falling short of incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's hopes for a high voter turnout. Tebboune, 78, is widely expected to win a second term, facing two challengers: moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani, 57, and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, 41. His main challenge, however, was to improve voter participation following the 2019 election, which saw a historic abstention rate of over 60 percent. With more than 24 million Algerians…