Algerians headed to the polls Thursday to vote for a new parliament in an election shadowed by fears of low turnout among the 25mn-strong electorate.
Polling stations, which opened at 8am local time (0700 GMT) and were due to close at 7pm, were nearly empty in the capital Algiers as of early afternoon, an AFP journalist reported.
However, images broadcast on national television showed people queuing up to cast their ballots in some parts of the country, including in the northwestern province of El Aricha.
"We came to fulfill our duty, hoping for something good. That's all I have to say," Djammel Bouakkaz, a 74-year-old retiree, told AFP at a polling station in Algiers.
Voter turnout had reached 11% nationwide as of mid-afternoon, and nearly 10% among those registered to cast ballots overseas, state TV reported, citing the election authority.
The last parliamentary vote in 2021 saw a historic low turnout, while this year's is taking place amid controversy over the government's disqualification of roughly a third of would-be candidates.
Some hopefuls have said they were blocked from competing for major constituencies, including Algiers.
The ruling National Liberation Movement (FLN) was widely expected to still dominate the 407-seat National People's Assembly, whose members are elected for five-year terms.
President Abdelmajid Tebboune said the election was proceeding as expected, the state-run APS agency reported.
Prime Minister Said Sayoud declined to comment on turnout but urged citizens to take part, according to news website TSA.
"I call upon Algerian men and women to turn out in large numbers to vote," Sayoud was quoted as saying.
Algeria had seen record low turnout of 23% in the 2021 poll – the first since a major pro-democracy protest movement swept through the country in 2019.
The Hirak movement erupted in February of that year and led to the resignation of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika two months later.
Tebboune was elected later in 2019 and won a second term in 2024.
Observers have expected little enthusiasm from the voters in Thursday's poll.
"Throughout this campaign, the crucial challenge has been to encourage citizens to turn out in large numbers," wrote the local French-language daily *L'Expression.
