Algerian Prime Minister Ali Benflis's National Liberation Front (FLN) has gained an impressive win in local elections, it was announced Friday.
Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni told reporters that the FLN had won 668 of 1,541 town assemblies in Thursday's election, and was ahead in 43 of 48 departments. In other 323 towns and two departments, the FLN was running neck-and-neck with other parties.
According to AFP, the National Democratic Rally (RND) was in second place in the town assemblies' vote, with 171 towns, but it had not won a department, Zerhouni conveyed. Zerhouni put turnout at 50.11 percent, excluding northeastern Kabylie province which was rocked by violence during Thursday's vote.
Zerhouni said Friday the Socialist Forces Front (FFS) party was ahead in the vote in Kabylie, where it was expected to win 65 town assemblies and the province's two departments, Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia. The FFS, which boycotted the legislative election in May, defied a call by Berber leaders, called aarchs, to boycott Thursday's vote. (Albawaba.com)
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