Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won the presidential election by securing a landslide margin of 90.24 percent of the votes. Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni informed the media of Bouteflika's victory. Zerhouni put the turnout at more than 74 percent where nearly 13 million of Algeria's 20 million registered voters cast their ballot for the president. After winning the third-term on Friday (10th April) Bouteflika hailed his victory as a lesson in democracy.

 

However, opposition politicians and independent media alleged fraud at the polls. The U.S. government also has expressed concern over the alleged rigged-polls. Earlier, opponents had called for a boycott of the vote. The election was also marred by six terror attacks and unrest that left several polling stations burned. The 72-year-old president, Bouteflika has been in power since 1999. With this win, he was able to seek a third mandate after a constitutional change engineered by his backers in a closed political system.

 

Bouteflika has repeatedly advocated for massive victory for national reconciliation and reconstruction of the country following an Islamist insurgency which has killed 200,000 people since 1992. He also promised to launch a $150 billion investment plan and create 3 million jobs during his third term.