Officials, fearing a low turnout, have spent weeks urging voters to take part in the poll. Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal called for a "massive vote", urging women to wake their husbands early, refuse them coffee and "drag" them to the polling stations. The authorities have even used mosques to spread the message, with imams urging Algerians to vote. ELECTORAL FRAUDBut since Algeria adopted a multi-party system in 1989, the opposition has regularly accused the ruling parties of electoral fraud. Turnout has often been low, registering 43.14 percent in 2012 — slightly higher than the 35.65 percent recorded in 2007.

Source: Daily Nation May 04, 2017 06:11 UTC