Algeria's presidential candidates appeal election results

Algeria's presidential candidates who lost to incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune in the September 7 election filed appeals Tuesday, contesting the provisional results, according to AFP. Abdelaali Hassani, leader of the moderate Islamist Movement of Society for Peace, was the first to submit his appeal to the Constitutional Court. Earlier he denounced the election as a fraud, saying he had "lost the battle but not the war." 

Youcef Aouchiche, head of the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), followed suit, accusing the electoral authority, ANIE, of "forging" the results. ANIE had declared Tebboune the winner with 94.65% of the vote, while Hassani received 3.17% and Aouchiche 2.16%.

Tebboune was expected to win easily and had focused on securing a strong turnout. Both of his opponents have disputed the announced 48% turnout rate. The Constitutional Court is expected to announce the final results within 10 days of receiving the vote count from Algeria’s 58 provinces.