Algeria might witness its highest vote turnout ever during the presidential elections to be held on April 17. The current government has promised brand new homes to millions of citizens currently living in the slums if they exercise their right to vote.
At present, the government is led by President Abdelaziz Boutfelika, who is running for a fourth term. Boutfelika’s opponents are saying his promise to provide houses for the poor is nothing less than blackmail.
The country currently faces a severe housing crisis that Boutfelika has promised to solve if he is re-elected. Since he came to power in 1999, however, only two-thirds of the 3 million houses that were supposed to be built have been constructed.
Although Algeria is the wealthiest country in northern Africa due to its oil resources, millions of Algerians still live in dire conditions. Up to 10 people live in a single 30-square-meter plot in the slums.
