ALGIERS, April 8: Algerians voted on Thursday in a presidential election seen as a landmark for democracy in a Muslim country seeking to erase traumas of civil war and militancy.

Western diplomats expected the poll in the vast, oil and gas-rich North African country to be the freest since its independence from France in 1962 and underline its return to the international fold under incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The military, which has a history of hand-picking the winners of previous elections, has this time made an unprecedented declaration of neutrality. Opposition candidates nevertheless alleged fraud.

Mr Bouteflika, 67, was the favourite in a field of six candidates. During his tenure, he has all but ended a bloody guerilla war, much of it directed against civilians, that flared after the military prevented a hardline religious party from gaining power at the ballot box 12 years ago.

His main challenger was Ali Benflis, 59, his campaign manager at the last election in 1999, and prime minister until Bouteflika sacked him a year ago. -Reuters