The government’s fear of a record low real turnout is reflected in the way that election posters are being targeted. According to widespread reports, election posters right across the country are being entirely obliterated by graffiti and slogans as Algerians give vent to their real political sentiments. In some communes, all election posters have been entirely blanked out.

Some of the less impolite slogans published in the mainstream press read: ‘We do not vote for the thieves!’, ‘No to false elections’, ‘Who will be the next thief?’ ‘France Left and left her children, the harkis!’, ‘We do not vote for the traitors.’ The message from the people is very clear.

Even before the official start of the election campaign, billboards were being targeted with political messages that mock, deride, lampoon, and insult not only government but the regime and the political class as a whole. In many communes, election posters and billboards are invariably torn down as soon as they are put up. In some places, garbage cans and bags are hung over the election posters, with accompanying slogans saying that the National Assembly is ‘a load of garbage’.

The political messages — invariably ‘unprintable’, but usually witty and funny — are widely photographed and distributed across social media. Algerians are also having fun at ridiculing their rulers.

As soon as the election was called the Interior Ministry launched an awareness campaign in order to maximise turnout by encouraging Algerians to vote. Life-size election posters were put up around the country, featuring smiling people waving their voting cards. It carried a simple, supposedly hard-hitting slogan: ‘Semaa soutek’ (Make your voice heard). But it was fodder for the masses. The ministry’s election posters was quickly parodied, portraying President Abdelaziz Bouteflika himself wielding a voting card with the slogan: ‘Semaa soutek.’ On the same image, a crowd of Algerians point their fingers at him, saying: ‘You first.’ Another parodied campaign image, in response to the slogan ‘Let your voice be heard’ says, ‘Impossible, I have acute bronchitis!’

While the 11,334 candidates engaged in the electoral race are … [article continues]

This article was taken from our Algeria Politics & Security publication