| Date: 11/05/2012 Time: 09:40:00 PM |
Algerian President Abdulaziz Bouteflika's ruling
National Liberation Front (NLF) won the legislative elections by occupying 220
seats of the 462-seat house, Minister of Interior Dahou Ould Kablia said
Friday.
He told a news conference the National Rally for Democracy (RND) of Prime
Minister Ahmad Oyahia came second with 68 seats and was followed by the
Islamist Green Algeria came third with 48 seats.
Kablia said turnout was 42.36 percent, exceeding the 36.51 percent of 2007
elections.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of NLF Abdulaziz Belkhadem voiced satisfaction
over the results of elections.
"The popularity of the party was not sheken and this is because it is
reaching out to all people," he told a news conference at NLF headquarters in
Algiers.
Asked by KUNA if he would be the next premier, a post he used to occupy,
Belkhadem said it was up to the president to name a prime minister.
Belkhadem said the party sought to give the MPs bigger authorities to
monitor the government.
The Arab League commended the elections and said they were transparent.
Chief of the Arab League observation mission Ambassador Wajeeh Hanafi, at a
news conference following the announcement of results, said 132 monitors
visited 1,105 polling stations and concluded that voting was transparent and
well-organized.
"The elections took place in an atmosphere of freedom and democracy which
allowed the Algerian citizen exercise his right to select his candidate
without hurdles of pressure," he said. |