Washington and Paris, the Moroccan King congratulated Butaflika over great victory in Presidential elections
Algeria, Politics, 4/10/2004

Only the rates of votes was the surprising element in the official results of the Algerian Presidential elections which were announced yesterday. The winning of Abdul Aziz Butaflika Abdul Aziz Butaflia was expected but not to be at a rate of 83.49 %. A matter which pushed the opposition not to recognize the elections and to provide information on " falsification" operations and pressures.

This overwhelming winning of Butaflika over his rivals was a two-edge sword. On the one side it proves that the popularity of this man is very great and that the great victory is for his person and for the regime, especially as the army announced neutrality. It, on the other hand, places Butaflika before a new example of dealing with the military establishment as he will feel he will have more liberty and more able, perhaps, to monitor the army, which is not an easy matter.

The other remarkable result for these elections is for the first time represented for a great defeat for the " Liberation front" party which had ruled the country individually for more a quarter century since independence.

This party which was intended to support Benflis in the fighting was by itself the one who had its most difficult defeats before Butaflika's popularity.

According to official results, announced by the minister of the interior Yazid Zarhouni before a large mass of foreign and local press, Butaflika's victory came as crushing for his opposers, as his main rivals Ali Benflis got only 7.93% followed by the Islamic leader Abdullah Jabullah 4.84% and then the Berber leading figure Saeed Saadi 1.93% and the leading woman leftist figure Louisa Hannoun 1.16% and last Fawzi al-Rabbain 0.64%.

While dancing and singing groups were deployed in several Algerian cities and villages welcoming this overwhelming victory, the opposition forces were frequent between low and high deploring what they described as the vast "falsification" operations and "pressures and bribes." In addition to other presidential candidates, Ali Benflis, the leader of the liberation front party who until near yesterday was considered the most dangerious rival for Butaflila and said to be supported by army officers stressed " he does not admit these elections which are all falsified " noting that " Even the Korean Kim Il Sung will not achieve a better result than that of Butaflika."

But Zarhouni, like the prime minister Ahmad O Yahya stressed that no falsification has taken place and noted that there are observers for the parties in all ballot centers as well as scores of international observers and more than 300 foreign journalists.

It was remarkable that the French President Jacque Chirac was the first to congratulate President Butaflika " very warmly" and the US President George W. Bush congratulated President Butaflika, stressing that constitutes a new phase towards democracy in Algeria. The most remarkable congratulations. however, came from the Moroccan neighbor King Muhammad VI who saluated the:"Great statesman," stressing determination to continue deepening friendship and fraternity between the two peoples. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt sent a cable of congratulations to Butaflika on this occasion.

Previous Stories:
  Butaflika to gain second term of office   (4/9/2004)
  Algerian elections started by falsification accusations   (4/7/2004)
  Ben Bella supports the re-election of Butaflika; Algeria: No candidate for the Salvation front   (4/6/2004)
  Boufelika: I will never let an Algerian die for Western Sahara   (4/2/2004)

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