Algerian President Tebboune Announces Bid for Second Term

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has announced his intention to run for a second term. This comes five years after he first took office amid widespread pro-democracy protests. Tebboune, supported by political parties and youth, aims to solidify the country's political and military elite's hold on power.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Thursday his intention to seek a second presidential term, five years after he first ascended to power amid a wave of pro-democracy protests.

The 78-year-old political veteran revealed his decision in an interview on Algerian television, citing backing from political parties and the younger generation as key motivating factors.

Tebboune's statement ends months of speculation and comes after the election date was set for September 7. His re-election bid is likely to fortify the influence of Algeria's political and military elite, distancing the nation further from the aspirations of the “Hirak” movement, which had prompted the resignation of the long-serving former president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Having previously served as prime minister under Bouteflika, Tebboune won the presidency in a 2019 election marked by low voter turnout and widespread protests denouncing it as a ploy to maintain the old regime's grip over the gas-rich nation of 45 million people.