ALGIERS: Three rejected presidential candidates were being held under “judicial supervision” in Algiers, a court said on Monday, while 68 others, including elected officials, were temporarily detained as part of an investigation into election fraud.
They are believed to be involved in “signature sales” for the September 7 presidential election, in which candidates must collect a large number of signatures to be eligible to run.
“68 defendants were temporarily detained, three defendants were detained under judicial supervision, and six defendants were released after trial,” the court said in a statement.
Last week, Algeria's top prosecutor, Lotfi Boudjemaa, told state news agency APS that “more than 50 elected officials” had admitted receiving illegal funds to support presidential candidates.
On Monday, three candidates under judicial oversight were named: former minister Saida Nexa, Belkasem Sahli and another lesser-known potential candidate named Abdelhakim Hamadi.
While they are not arrested, they are required to report regularly to the authorities until the investigation is complete.
Boudjemaa said last week that those involved in the fraud “will be arrested.”
At a press conference before the official submission of the application last month, Nexa complained about the “difficulties” of the registration and signature process.
She said she hoped “the election process would be conducted in an environment of transparency and honesty, without any discrimination.”
To qualify for the ballot, candidates must submit a list of at least 50,000 signatures from registered voters or 600 members of at least 29 Algerian provincial legislatures.
Only three hopefuls, including incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune, have approved their nominations for the September 7 election.
Abdelali Hassani of the moderate Islamic Social Movement for Peace party and Yusuf Aouchiche of the center-left Socialist Forces Alliance are the two candidates who will be running against Tebboun.
The remaining 13 candidates were all rejected because they could not gather the required number of signatures.
