Algeria is all set to witness the swearing-in of the newly elected Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune scheduled for Thursday, December 19. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Palais des Congrès, west of Algiers.
Although the majority of Algerians had rejected the presidential election, the election authority declared Tebboune as the winner. The former prime minister won with 58.13 percent of votes in the first round. Turnout in the election was 39.9 percent, according to the constitutional council.
On Thursday, Tebboune will take over the presidential duties from Interim President Abdelkader Bensaleh, who came to power after Abdelaziz Bouteflika was brought down by a popular uprising supported by the army.
But, the protests still continue in the country demanding a complete political overhaul. Thousands of Algerians took part in a march on Tuesday against the president-elect.
“They changed people, but not ideas. We want them to change ideas and the whole system,” the protesters chanted.
“Tebboune will not govern us!” protesters shouted, vowing to continue with the protests.
The protesters accuse him of being close to former president Bouteflika who stepped down in April following mass protests. Tebboune served as a prime minister under Bouteflika for a seven-month period. He is also seen as close to Army Chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, who became the country’s de facto strongman following Bouteflika’s departure.
Demonstrators have long been opposing the vote they saw as a ploy by the establishment to consolidate power. They claim that election should be held in the country only after the old regime bureaucrats and officials are removed from the political system.
While the new president had called for dialogue and vowed among other things, to “amend the Constitution” and submit the new text to a referendum, the demonstrators continue to reject the offer of dialogue.
