afrol News, 14 April - Algerian Constitutional Council has declared Abdelaziz Bouteflika the winner of the 2009 presidential election having snatched more than 90 percent of the total vote out of 75 percent turnout. His re-election earned him senior most position in the country for the third time in a row.

Mr Bouteflika who was first elected in 1999 then again in 2004, was to have stood down at the election, but proposed an amendment to the constitution that abolished the term limits in November.

The runner up in the 9 April elections was Ms Louisa Hanoune, the only woman candidate and leader of the Trotskyite Workers' Party who won only 4.5 percent of the total vote.

President Bouteflika rival candidates and opposition parties responded with anger to the results saying there was widespread rigging in all 48 provinces of the country.

Ms Hanoune affirmed that Mr Bouteflika did not win 90 percent of the votes, disputing her 4 percent saying she has received more then 30 percent of the total vote.

"The violations that took place on 9 April affect the credibility of the presidential election and made it look like the elections that are held in the banana republics," she said.

Other opposition officials have also questioned the voter turnout tally, accusing President Bouteflika and Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni of inflating the numbers. The argument also stems from announcement by several oppositions partie’s withdrawal from the elections.

The General Secretary of the Socialist Forces Front Karim Tabou, said that the turnout did not exceed 18 percent while General Secretary of the Rally for Culture and Democracy, Said Saudi, which boycotted the election also said that the turnout was only 25 percent.

The 71-year-old president has overseen a return to relative peace, though there has been a series of suicide bombings over last two years blamed on militants linked to al-Qaeda.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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