Billboards across Algeria are eerily empty, with few campaign posters visible.
Public television shows candidates traveling, but there’s a noticeable lack of excitement as the presidential election approaches this weekend.
Voters in Algeria, a gas-rich North African nation, are preoccupied with inflation driving up the costs of essentials like school supplies, potatoes, and coffee, rather than focusing on the upcoming election.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 78, is likely to secure a second term effortlessly.
As middle school principal Noureddine Benchikh noted, many Algerians are disinterested in politics amid daily hardships.
The current political apathy contrasts sharply with the optimism of April 2019 when pro-democracy activists sought substantial reforms after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s resignation under pressure from the Hirak movement.
Only two challengers have been approved against Tebboune: Abdelaali Hassani Cherif and socialist Youcef Aouchiche.
Despite efforts to boost voter turnout, skepticism remains due to past criticisms and ongoing repression.
