Algerian local elections wrapped up in calm

Algerian citizens wrapped up Thursday in calm the elections for People's Communal Assemblies ( APC) and Provincial Assemblies (APW), two deliberative bodies in Algeria's local parliamentary system. For this double voting, as many as 21,445,621 people were registered to vote in some 48,000 polling stations throughout the country, which counts 1,541 APC and 48 APW. Minister of Interior and Local Authorities Daho Ould Kablia said the voting process took place in "a serene" political environment and that people "did their electoral duty in peace and calm." According to the lastest announcement of the minister, voter turnout has reached 44.26 percent for APC and 42.92 percent for APW at the closing of the polling stations nationwide. He further indicated that these figures are similar to those recorded in 2007 local elections (43.90 percent for APC and 34 percent for APW). The minister is due to hold a press conference Friday to announce the final and official results of the elections. Top Algerian officials also cast their vote, including President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who voted in a school in the locality of El Biar, in upper Algiers. Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, who also voted in El Biar locality, was quoted by a local TV channel as saying that "I have done my national duty, and for now new communal and provincial assemblies are being elected, and the government will facilitate their task for the sake of improving the living conditions of the citizens." In the capital city of Algiers, the election process was marked by low turnout in the morning, as the heavy rain that poured in the city deterred voters to go to vote. After casting her ballot, Fatiha, a 53-year-old housewife, told Xinhua that "I wait for the newly elected to improve things by God willing. We have many problems. Young people suffer from unemployment... They leave the country because they can't find jobs." However, Hamid, a 60-year-old employee, indicated that he has voted to mark a civilized action for the nation, though he does not expect too much from these elections. After the polling, head of the National Commission for Monitoring Local Elections (CNESEL), Mohamed Seddiki, told a press conference that several "abuses" have been reported, including the lack of voting bills of some candidates in a couple of polling stations in Msila, Biskra and Batna provinces, in addition to the participation of element of security services in the voting operation in the areas where they work, a practice banned by the law. As for the accusations, Interior Minister Kablia said he admitted the charges reported by the CNESEL, specifying that "the cases have been dealt with and everything is all right." A total of 8,383 lists were filed by 52 parties and 197 lists by independent candidates for the APC election, while the APW election includes 607 lists of political parties and nine independent lists. In the 2007 local elections, the two government-allied parties, namely the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Democratic Rally (RND), won the majority seats in both APC and APW.