ALGIERS: An Algerian court said on Monday that three rejected presidential candidates had been placed under “judicial supervision” and another 68 people, including elected officials, had been temporarily detained as part of an investigation into election fraud.
They are suspected of “selling signatures” in the presidential elections scheduled for September 7. In order to run for office, candidates must collect a large number of them.
“Sixty-eight defendants were placed in a detention center, three were placed under judicial supervision, and six were released after the trial,” the court said in a statement.
Last week, Lotfi Boudjemaa, the attorney general of Algeria's judiciary, told the state news agency APS that “more than 50 elected officials” had admitted to receiving illegal payments for supporting presidential candidates.
The three candidates placed under judicial supervision on Monday were identified as Saida Negza, former minister Belkasem Sahli and a relatively unknown candidate named Abdelhakim Hammadi.
Although they are not under arrest, they will have to check in regularly with authorities until the investigation is complete.
Last week, Budjemaa said those involved in the scam “will be arrested.”
At a press conference before officially filing her candidacy last month, Negza complained about “difficulties” in the registration and signature collection process.
She expressed her hope that “the election process takes place in an atmosphere of transparency and honesty, without favoritism.”
To be on the ballot, candidates must submit a list of at least 50,000 personal signatures of registered voters or 600 members of at least 29 Algerian provincial assemblies.
Only three contenders, including incumbent President Abdelmajid Tebbun, had their candidacies approved in the September 7 election.
Abdelaali Hassani of the moderate Islamist Society Movement for Peace party and Youssef Oushiche of the center-left Front of Socialist Forces are the two candidates who will oppose Tebun.
The candidacies of the remaining 13 applicants were rejected due to the fact that they did not collect the required number of signatures.
