President Reelected; Rival Alleges Fraud
Algeria’s president, an ally in the U.S. campaign against terrorism, overwhelmingly won reelection in a vote that his rival said was a sham.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected to a second term with 83% of Thursday’s vote, the Interior Ministry said.
Former Prime Minister Ali Benflis was a distant second with 8%. He alleged irregularities “in thousands of polling stations” and vowed to appeal to the panel that validates results.
International observers, however, hailed the vote as a major sign of progress toward reform. President Bush congratulated Bouteflika on his victory.
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