UN General Assembly
2008

tyranny, bribery and increasing corruption, the armed forces and security forces intervened to put an end to the grave abuses that threatened the structure and very existence of the Mauritanian State. That move by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy led to a transitional democratic phase, which successfully concluded in April 2007. Mauritanians and international observers alive attested to the fairness and transparency of that phase. The Mauritanian experiment in democracy became an example worthy of emulation. The satisfaction of various national and international observers and the support of civil society added to the success of the experiment. A series of elections were held, with the support of international partners, leading to the ratification by popular referendum of the Constitution in June 2006. 08-53141 42 A Parliament with two chambers was elected in November of the same year; a new president of the Republic was elected in March 2007; and a new law for the organization of the press was enacted in October 2006, establishing a higher authority for the press, radio and television. With respect to good