Algerian Voters Head To Polls To Elect New Parliament

ALGIERS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Algerian voters began casting their ballots on Thursday to elect the country's eighth multiparty parliament since 1989 and the second under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

More than 24.7 million registered voters are eligible to take part in the one-day election, conducted under an open-list proportional representation system. Polling stations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.

Thousands of police and gendarmes were deployed across the country, with the army helping secure remote areas.

A total of 793 electoral lists, comprising 613 party lists from 32 political parties and 125 independent lists, are competing for the 407 seats in the National People's Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

Women account for 21 percent of the 9,854 candidates, while 54 percent are under 40. In the previous parliamentary election in June 2021, the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) won 98 of the 407 seats, followed by independent candidates with 84 seats and the Movement of Society for Peace with 65.

Voter turnout stood at about 23 percent. Analysts predict that the FLN and independent lists are likely to emerge among the biggest winners in the election.

Acting President of the National Independent Election Authority Karim Khelfane told the national radio on Wednesday that early voting for Algerians abroad was held from June 27 to 30 at 129 polling centers in diplomatic missions and consulates.

Khelfane added that 134 mobile polling stations were deployed across 15 southern provinces, enabling nearly 31,000 voters in remote desert areas to cast ballots. He said that provisional results would be announced within 72 hours of the authority receiving the final polling station report, before the final results are submitted to the Constitutional Court for announcement.

The election, held under the slogan, "Be part of decision-making, vote and participate!", comes ahead of Algeria's Independence Day on July 5.

--NNN-Xinhua