Thousands of falsified voter cards have been sent to Polisario officials in the Sahrawi camps in Tindouf, according to local sources, revealing a large-scale electoral manipulation.
During his campaign for the early presidential election on September 7, Abdelmadjid Tebboune reaffirmed his support for the Polisario amidst a tense international political climate.
Algerian military authorities, under the control of officers from the Algerian National Gendarmerie, have established a sophisticated system to circulate these falsified cards. The Sahrawis receive these cards along with the equivalent of 20 euros, without being informed of their true purpose or the underlying political intentions.
This operation comes as President Tebboune, seeking a second term, aims to strengthen his hold on the country through a controversial presidential election supported by General Saïd Chengriha’s army, as well as by security and intelligence services.
The massive dispatch of falsified voter cards to the Tindouf camps represents a cynical maneuver to ensure the incumbent president’s victory. These cards allow Algerian authorities to control votes directly, thus influencing results through fraudulent means.
This scheme also enables the regime to guarantee a significant share of votes in favor of President Tebboune, even if these votes do not reflect the true will of the electorate in a country where the Kabylie and Southern populations are hostile to the central Algerian power.
The Tindouf camps, isolated and under strict Polisario control, provide a suitable environment for such manipulations. The Sahrawis, vulnerable and lacking resources to oppose these practices, become instruments in the authoritarian regime’s quest to stay in power.