Algeria’s Tebboune promises ‘true democracy’ as he is sworn in for second term

President has been re-elected with about 85 per cent of the vote

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune takes the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony in Algiers. EPA

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune promised on Tuesday to launch a national dialogue to ensure the embodiment of “true democracy” in the country as he was sworn in for a second five-year term

Mr Tebboune, 78, said during his constitutional oath ceremony at the Palais des Nations in Algiers that all national political, economic and youth actors will be called on to participate in a series of “extensive talks and consultations” to set up a road map for the developments of all sectors, state news agency APS reported.

“An open national dialogue will be initiated to plan together the path that our country will take with regard to embodying true democracy and not a democracy of slogans but a democracy that gives sovereignty to those who deserve it,” he said.

Mr Tebboune also hailed the September 7 elections for their “smoothness,” saluting his two rivals, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif and Youcef Aouchiche for running “clean” electoral campaigns, and the Algerian people for upholding their national duties.

“Even if the tools and methods of persuasion differed, the electoral campaign was conducted within the framework of mutual respect and democratic political practice, as dictated by moral conscience and what loyalty to the homeland requires,” he said.

“With their patriotic awareness, Algerians are supporting the path necessary to consolidate the legitimacy of institutions and to build a state of law and justice.”

Mr Tebboune also praised the Algerian National People’s Army and security forces for providing the needed logistical support “to ensure transparent, free and fair elections.”

Algeria’s Constitutional Court announced on Saturday that Mr Tebboune had been re-elected for another five-year term with an 83.4 per cent majority with almost 8 million votes.

Islamist candidate Mr Hassani Cherif, 57, of the Movement of Society for Peace, received 9.56 per cent of the vote and secular candidate Mr Aouchiche, 41, of the Socialist Forces Front, got 6.14 per cent.

The final turnout rate in the elections was 46.10 per cent, both the National Independent Election Authority and the Constitutional Court said, without providing the exact number of voters.

All three candidates, including Mr Tebboune, had filed appeals to the Constitutional Court earlier last week against the initial results for what they perceived as a discrepancy in the numbers announced by the electoral committee.

“The results that were announced by the National Independent Elections Authority have lacked all the basic data as dictated by our customs in all important national occasions,” they said on September 8.

The candidates primarily questioned the accuracy of the initial results and the contradiction between the numbers of voters and the given percentages.

The election authority initially announced that Mr Tebboune won by a 95 per cent majority but did not provide the exact number of overall voters.

“We have evidence proving that the announced results contradict all their presented data,- relating whether to participation rates or results,” Mr Cherif said last Tuesday.

Mr Tebboune’s re-election has been widely expected due to overwhelming support compared to the two other candidates and strong backing from the country’s military.