Algerian election: Who is on the ballot, and what is on the table?

Algeria has had a challenging history with transfers of power.

In the 62 years since the country’s independence from France, change in leadership has come, more often than not, through the military. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected five years ago after weeks of protests against the country’s establishment forced his predecessor to resign. He was elected amid a record-low turnout.

On Saturday, Algeria will go to the polls again, and this time around the election is expected to be contentious, to say the least.

Three candidates are vying for what could be a trajectory-changing term for Algeria. They are incumbent Mr Tebboune, returning to the ticket after rising to his first term following the 2019 Hirak protest movement; Youcef Aouchiche, a former member of parliament running with the Socialist Forces Front; and Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, a civil engineer running on promises of socio-economic stability with the Movement of Society for Peace.

Algeria is seeking a main-stage role in regional politics as instability between neighbours expands and intensifies, and voters are apathetic towards the races.

What can these candidates provide? What’s setting them apart?

On this episode of Year of Elections, host and Opinion Editor Sulaiman Hakemy hears from Zine Ghebouli, an analyst and fellow on Algeria at the Arab Reform Initiative and the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Ghaya Ben Mbarek, The National’s North Africa Correspondent, who has been closely following the election.