ALGERIA: Algerians voted yesterday in a presidential election seen as a landmark for democracy in a Muslim country seeking to erase traumas of civil war and Islamic fundamentalism.
Western diplomats expected the poll in the oil and gas-rich North African country to be the freest since its independence from France in 1962 and underline its return to the international fold under incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
The military, which has a history of hand-picking the winners of previous polls, has made an unprecedented declaration of neutrality. Opposition candidates nevertheless alleged fraud.
Mr Bouteflika (67) was the favourite in a field of six candidates. During his tenure, he has all but ended a bloody guerrilla war, much of it directed against civilians, that flared after the military prevented a hardline Islamic party from gaining power at the ballot box 12 years ago.
His main challenger was Mr Ali Benflis (59), his campaign manager at the last election in 1999, and prime minister until Mr Bouteflika sacked him a year ago.
Turnout at 1 p.m. was 33 per cent of the 18 million eligible voters, slightly higher than five years ago, the Interior Ministry said. A lower abstention rate would favour Mr Bouteflika's re-election chances, political sources said.
Mr Benflis has offered no evidence of his allegation, along with two other candidates, that fraud was being prepared.
After voting, he told reporters: "If fraud ... and this electoral hold-up are rejected by the electorate, then I think people will choose change and the proposals I have put forward."
The head of the election monitoring body, Mr Said Bouchair, said the vote was "proceeding in good conditions".
Many voters were ready to give Mr Bouteflika credit for a gradual emergence from a decade of violence in which the government says at least 100,000 people were killed, and human rights groups say 150,000. Mr Bouteflika's offer of amnesty persuaded 6,000 Islamic rebels to lay down their arms.
"I voted for Bouteflika because Algeria still needs him," said Mr Abdelkader Barane (33).