Algerian Interior Minister Tayeb Belaiz announces the results of the presidential election during a press conference in Algiers, April 18, 2014.
Ailing Algerian President Set to Serve 4th Term
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won re-election, a result that paves the way for him to serve a fourth term, despite poor health.
The Interior Ministry released official preliminary results on Friday that show Bouteflika captured almost 82 percent of the vote. He faced five contenders in Thursday's polling.
The 77-year-old president, who is backed by the ruling National Liberation Front party, was widely expected to win.
FILE - Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Jan. 14, 2013.
However, he has made few public appearances since suffering a stroke, last year. On Thursday, he arrived in a wheelchair at an Algiers polling station where he cast his ballot.
His main challenger, former prime minister Ali Benflis, alleged massive voter fraud even before the final results were announced. Also, some opposition party supporters had called for an election boycott.
Bouteflika first took power in 1999. In 2008, he amended the constitution to allow for the unlimited re-election of sitting presidents.
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