Algeria presidential candidate appeals election result

Algerian moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani gestures during a press conference following the results of the presidential election, in Algiers, on Sept. 9, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 10 September 2024
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Algeria presidential candidate appeals election result

  • Abdelaali Hassani, who heads the moderate Islamist party the Movement of Society for Peace, said the day before he had “lost the battle but not the war“
  • Hassani earlier denounced what he called “false figures” on voter turnout

ALGIERS: The Islamist candidate who lost out to incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algeria’s presidential election filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court Tuesday, contesting the provisional result of the vote.
Abdelaali Hassani, who heads the moderate Islamist party the Movement of Society for Peace, said the day before he had “lost the battle but not the war” and denounced the results as a “fraud.”
He was one of just two challengers to Tebboune in Saturday’s election, the second being Youcef Aouchiche of the center-left Socialist Forces Front (FFS), who is also expected to appeal.
The North African country’s electoral authority, ANIE, announced on Sunday that Tebboune had won “94.65 percent of the vote,” with Hassani on 3.17 percent and Aouchiche 2.16 percent.
Hassani earlier denounced what he called “false figures” on voter turnout and demanded that the authorities put an end to the “masquerade.”
Tebboune, 78, had been widely expected to breeze through the election and was focused instead on securing a high turnout.
He was elected in December 2019 with 58 percent of the vote, despite a record abstention rate above 60 percent, amid the massive Hirak pro-democracy protests.
More than 24 million Algerians were registered to vote in this election, but ANIE did not say how many people turned out.
Instead, it announced a “provisional average turnout” rate of 48 percent, which many including Hassani and Aouchiche have disputed.
The Constitutional Court is set to announce the final results within 10 days of receiving the count from Algeria’s 58 provinces.
On Monday it said it had yet to receive all of them.


Red Cross launches Iran emergency appeal as needs soar

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Red Cross launches Iran emergency appeal as needs soar

  • Appeal for $51.5 million to help support five million people through the next 16 months
  • Emergency appeal funds will go toward shelter support, providing relief items, health services and maintaining water and sanitation services
GENEVA: Humanitarian needs in Iran are growing sharply due to the war, the Red Cross said Tuesday as it launched an emergency appeal for more than $50 million.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its appeal for 40 million Swiss francs ($51.5 million) would help support five million people through the next 16 months.
“Across the country, communities are facing growing humanitarian needs related to health care, shelter, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support,” the IFRC said.
The funds will help the national Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to prioritize those directly affected by the war, and deal with infrastructure damage and disruptions to essential services.
“With humanitarian needs growing sharply with every passing day, this emergency appeal will help scale up lifesaving assistance and get support to those most affected,” Maria Martinez, the IFRC’s delegation chief in Iran, said in a statement.
The United States and Israel launched their first wave of attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a war that has seen Iran strike targets in multiple countries around the Gulf.
“The Iranian Red Crescent Society immediately mobilized its network of staff and volunteers to respond to communities affected by the hostilities,” said Martinez.
“This work on the ground by the IRCS and the IFRC is vital to saving lives — every moment counts.”
The IFRC said that 529 IRCS branches were undertaking emergency response operations across 30 provinces and 197 cities.
More than 2,100 response teams and over 6,500 staff and volunteers have been deployed, it said, while emergency teams have been carrying out search and rescue operations.
The emergency appeal funds will go toward shelter support, providing relief items, health services and maintaining water and sanitation services.
The Geneva-based IFRC has already allocated 1.5 million Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to support immediate life-saving activities in Iran.
The IFRC, which has more than 17 million volunteers in more than 191 countries, is the world’s largest humanitarian network.