Vote counting underway in Algeria

ALGIERS

Presidential election vote counting started at polling stations across Algeria late on Thursday, a short time after the stations stopped receiving voters and closed down their doors at 7:00 pm.

Vote counting in 590 municipalities where voting was extended for one more hour upon requests from local officials also started, according to Anadolu Agency reporters.

Algerians headed to the polls since the early hours of Thursday to vote in the elections, in which incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika – along with five other candidates – were vying for the country's highest office. 

Algerian Interior Minister Tayeb Belaiz said around 23.25 percent of eligible Algerian voters had shown up to cast ballots in the country's presidential elections as of 2p.m. local time Thursday.

Algerians headed to the polls since the early hours of the day to vote in the elections, in which incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika – along with five other candidates – is vying for the country's highest office.  

"We have information that the number of voters will increase in the afternoon," said Belaiz.

Algerian politician arrested while monitoring polls

Algerian opposition figure Ali Belhadj was arrested on Thursday while following up presidential polls capital Algiers, his office has announced.

Security forces stopped Belhadj's car and detained him "without any legal basis as he toured polling centers" in the capital, according to a statement by his office.

Belhadj is a former vice president of the Algerian Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party, which was outlawed by the Algerian judiciary for "inciting violence" after performing unexpectedly well in the first round of the 1992 polls.

Algerian authorities have yet to comment on Belhadj's reported arrest.

The FIS had announced plans to boycott Thursday's poll, arguing that the balloting would be rigged in favor of incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 77, who is currently running for a fourth term in office.

Bouteflika, who cast his ballot from a wheelchair on Thursday, is widely expected to win a fourth term as president, despite concerns about his health and opposition calls for a new head of state.

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