Mauritanian voters are headed to the polls in the country’s first election without an incumbent presidential candidate since the 2008 coup.

Polling stations opened Saturday at 8am across the Sahara Desert nation and will remain open until 7pm local time.

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is stepping down, as is mandated by the constitution, after his two five-year terms. His ruling Union for the Republic (UPR) party has put forth former defense minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani as its candidate.

Opposition candidates say that Ghazouani would not affect any change from the last administration – change they say is desperately needed.

“I think there needs to be a true changeover, because the state today of my country is catastrophic. The economic situation is extremely serious, as are our societal problems,” Sidi Mohammed Ould Boubacar, a former prime minister and leading opposition candidate supported by the Tewassoul party, told VOA.

Boubacar is one of five opposition candidates running to replace the UPR. Other candidates include well-known anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who has promised a national inquiry into the country’s cases of modern slavery.

Though voters are mobilized by the wide range of candidates, many are wary that the National Electoral Commission, which earlier this year refused appeals to employ foreign observers, may not hold fair elections.

According to a Gallup poll, 64% of Mauritanians do not have faith in the honesty of the elections.

When asked who they believe will win the election, many voters VOA spoke with in Nouakchott preceded their answer with “If the state doesn’t cheat…”.

The country’s last elections in 2014 were heavily criticized for being unfair and were boycotted by many opposition parties. Then-incumbent President Aziz won by 84%.

Mauritania has had five military coups since it gained independence from France in 1960. </s> NOUAKCHOTT - Mauritanian voters went to the polls Saturday in the country’s first election without an incumbent presidential candidate since the 2008 coup.

Polling stations closed at 7 p.m. across the Sahara Desert nation, and preliminary results are expected late in the evening.

Though voters were mobilized for these elections, seen as significant in the country’s democratic history, many are wary that the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which earlier this year refused appeals to employ foreign observers, may not hold fair elections.

American embassy staff were among those in Nouakchott surveying polling stations across the capital.

“We’ve got 10 teams who have been out ever since the polls opened at 7 this morning, doing observations in various polling stations throughout the city,” U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania Michael Dodman told VOA.

“We’ll wait and see what the results are, we’ll wait and see what the experts … have to say. And we just hope that it all moves forward peacefully, quickly, and that this transfer of power really is a positive step for Mauritanian democracy,” he added.

Along with American embassy staff, local observers went to polling stations across the capital Saturday.

Local lawyer Fatimata M’Baye told VOA that she noticed some irregularities, namely that some voters were turned away and were told they needed to provide their voter registration number and not just an identification. M’Baye says that these numbers are only available online, and some people were unable to retrieve them in time to vote.

“I think these are questions that should have been addressed before election day,” M’Baye said, adding that she thinks the issue is more negligence by the CENI as opposed to obstruction.

“I think that in the future, the CENI needs to be much better prepared to allow the Mauritanian people to vote in peace,” she said.

According to a Gallup poll, 64% of Mauritanians do not have faith in the honesty of the elections.

When asked who they believe will win the election, many voters VOA spoke with in Nouakchott preceded their answer with “If the state doesn’t cheat. ..."

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is stepping down, as is mandated by the constitution, after his two five-year terms. His ruling Union for the Republic (UPR) party has put forth former Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani as its candidate.

Opposition candidates say that Ghazouani would not affect any change from the last administration -- change they say is desperately needed.

“I think there needs to be a true changeover, because the state today of my country is catastrophic. The economic situation is extremely serious, as are our societal problems,” Sidi Mohammed Ould Boubacar, a former prime minister and leading opposition candidate supported by the Tewassoul party, told VOA.

Boubacar is one of five opposition candidates running to replace the UPR. Other candidates include well-known anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who has promised a national inquiry into the country’s cases of modern slavery.

The country’s last elections in 2014 were heavily criticized for being unfair and were boycotted by many opposition parties. Then-incumbent President Aziz won by 84%.

Mauritania has had five military coups since it gained independence from France in 1960. </s> Mauritania's ruling party candidate Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former general and defense minister, won the country's presidential election with 52% of the vote, the electoral commission announced Sunday.

Ghazouani's nearest rival, prominent anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, came in second with 18.58% of the vote. Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, who is backed by the country's biggest Islamist party, came in third with 17.87%.

As Ghazouani won an absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, the top two contenders will not face off in a runoff election.

Earlier on Sunday, Ghazouani declared himself the winner of the Saturday polls. Mauritania's government also declared victory for the former general and congratulated him.

Opposition candidates reject results

Speaking at a news conference with three other candidates, Boubacar said that "multiple irregularities ... eliminated any credibility" of the election in the West African desert nation.

"We reject the results of the election and we consider that they in no way express the will of the Mauritanian people," he said, vowing that the opposition would use "every legal means" to challenge them.

Opposition candidates had earlier said they would contest the results if the ruling party won the first round of the election outright.

"This seems like a coup d'etat," Abeid said at a press conference, representing himself and the other opposition leaders. "We are united and will lead the contestation [of the results]."

Watch video 02:00 Share A peaceful transfer of power in Mauritania? Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3KrdN A peaceful transfer of power in Mauritania?

Favored candidate

Voters in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president as Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz prepares to step aside after serving two five-year elected terms.

Some 1.5 million people in the West African state were entitled to vote in the presidential election.

Economic issues dominated the election campaign, with the outgoing president largely credited with stabilizing the country after seizing power in a 2008 coup. Abdel Aziz was later elected as president in 2009 and 2014 in a vote boycotted by the main opposition parties.

Read more: Mauritania poll returns incumbent as opposition boycotts vote

Abdel Aziz backed Ghazouani, who was heavily tipped to win the presidential election.

Located on the northwest African coast, Mauritania gained independence from French rule in 1960, but unelected military governments largely ruled the country in the decades to follow.

Anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid said he might contest the results

Continuity and security

Gilles Yabi, the founder of the West African think tank WATHI, told Reuters that if Ghazouani secured a victory, he would probably carry forward his predecessor's policies, but Yabi added: "Ghazouani is someone who is very discreet. It could well happen that the change is not merely cosmetic."

Ghazouani once headed the country's domestic security service and was chief of staff to Abdel Aziz from 2008 to 2018.

Read more: Mauritania votes in controversial constitutional referendum

The favored candidate campaigned on themes of continuity, solidarity and security.

"There are only two choices — either going backwards, towards extremism, waste and instability, or your candidate, who will continue what has been achieved to build a stable and developed state," the 62-year-old told his supporters on Thursday.

Decline in attacks

A Western ally, Mauritania had been in the grip of extremist violence until recently. In the past few years, the government has been able to bring down the levels of conflict.

Al-Qaida documents seized from Osama bin Laden's hideout in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad indicated that the Islamist group had discussed a possible peace deal with Mauritanian authorities in 2010, a year prior to bin Laden's killing by US forces.

Authorities denied that such a deal existed and claimed that intelligence work and the rehabilitation of imprisoned jihadis caused a decline in Islamist attacks.

Read more: Mauritania journalist sentenced to death for apostasy

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Born into bondage Schweda was born a slave in Mauritania's north-eastern Sahara along with her brother, Matallah. Overcoming virtually insurmountable odds, Matallah succeeded in freeing her and her nine children from slavery in March 2013.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Gritty capital Twenty-five years of drought have transformed Mauritania from a nomadic to an urban society. The transition has not been easy, and with an unemployment rate of 40 percent, many Mauritanians survive on less than one dollar a day.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Making do Shantytowns have sprung up on the outskirts of Nouakchott, where many former slaves, and those who left the drought-ridden countryside in search of opportunity, build homes from scrap metal and other found items.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Nationwide repression Slavery in Mauritania is not unique to the countryside. Mbarka was born into slavery and lived her life serving a wealthy family in Nouakchott. She was freed in 2011 with the assistance of well-known anti-slavery activist Biram Abeid and IRA, the abolitionist organization he leads.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Bringing freedom Messaoud Boubacar (left) of the anti-slavery NGO SOS Esclaves was instrumental in the freeing of Matallah (right) and the subsequent liberation of his sister and her nine children. Both are members of a 'slave caste,' known as the Hratine, and are descended from black African ethnic groups along the Senegal River who were subjugated by white Arab Berbers.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion 'Slave caste' The Hratine often suffer from discrimination as they are at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder. There are no reliable figures for the number of Hratine. Human rights groups estimate that 10 to 20 percent of Mauritania's 3.5 million people are slaves.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Fatherless society "In slavery fathers are irrelevant, their presence is not a factor," says Massaoud Boubacar of SOS Esclaves. "There is no role for the father, because the master owns the women, and when the women give birth the master owns the children, which he might sell or do with as he pleases."

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Seeking justice Eleven year-old Yarg (right) is one of the very few former slaves in Mauritania to have successfully had his former master convicted for the crimes committed against him. The man was sentenced to two years in prison for a crime that should have resulted in a five-to 10-year-minimum sentence.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Poverty gap Mauritania is one of the richest countries in West Africa in terms of fish stocks and mineral wealth, but the riches earned from these resources have not been shared by the general populace.

In Mauritania, slavery's last bastion Struggle for survival Matallah's family - here his wife and child - live in grinding poverty, like many Hratine and former slaves. Despite the challenges, they have retained their dignity and an uncommon positivity that a brighter future may be in store for them. Author: Robert Asher and Safa Faki, Nouakchott



rs,shs/jm (Reuters, AFP)

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here. </s> Mauritania's ruling party candidate Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former general and defense minister, won the country's presidential election with 52% of the vote, the electoral commission announced Sunday,

Ghazouani's nearest rival, prominent anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid came in second with 18.58% of the vote. Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, who is backed by the country's biggest Islamist party, came in third with 17.87%.

As Ghazouani won an absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, the top two contender’s will not face off in a runoff election.

Earlier on Sunday, Ghazouani declared himself the winner of the Saturday polls. Mauritania's government also declared victory for the former general and congratulated him.

Speaking at a news conference with three other candidates, Boubacar said that "multiple irregularities ... eliminated any credibility" of the election in the West African desert nation.

"We reject the results of the election and we consider that they in no way express the will of the Mauritanian people," he said, vowing that the opposition would use "every legal means" to challenge them.

Opposition candidates had earlier said they would contest the results if the ruling party won the first round of the election outright.

"This seems like a coup d'etat," Abeid said at a press conference, representing himself and the other opposition leaders. "We are united and will lead the contestation [of the results]."

Voters in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president as Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz prepares to step aside after serving two five-year elected terms.

Some 1.5 million people in the West African state were entitled to vote in the presidential election.

Economic issues dominated the election campaign, with the outgoing president largely credited with stabilizing the country after seizing power in a 2008 coup. Abdel Aziz was later elected as president in 2009 and 2014 in a vote boycotted by the main opposition parties.

Abdel Aziz backed Ghazouani, who was heavily tipped to win the presidential election.

Located on the northwest African coast, Mauritania gained independence from French rule in 1960 but non-elected military governments largely ruled the country in the decades which followed.

Gilles Yabi, the founder of West African think tank WATHI, told Reuters that if Ghazouani secured a victory, he would probably carry forward his predecessor's policies but added: "Ghazouani is someone who is very discreet. It could well happen that the change is not merely cosmetic," Yabi said.

Ghazouani once headed the country's domestic security service and was chief of staff to Abdel Aziz from 2008 to 2018.

The favored candidate campaigned on themes of continuity, solidarity and security.

"There are only two choices — either going backwards, towards extremism, waste and instability, or your candidate, who will continue what has been achieved to build a stable and developed state," the 62-year-old told his supporters on Thursday.

A Western ally, Mauritania had been in the grip of extremist violence until recently. In the past few years, the government has been able to bring down the levels of conflict.

Al-Qaida documents seized from Osama bin Laden's hideout in the Pakistani city of Abottabad indicated that the Islamist group had discussed a possible peace deal with Mauritanian authorities in 2010, a year prior to bin Laden's killing by US forces.

Authorities deny that such a deal existed and claimed that intelligence work and rehabilitation of imprisoned jihadists caused a decline in Islamist attacks.

Read more: Mauritania journalist sentenced to death for apostasy

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here. </s> NOUAKCHOTT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Mauritania has voted in favor of a referendum to abolish the senate and change the national flag in what the West African county's opposition says is just a bid by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to bolster power and extend his mandate.

The referendum won 85 percent of the vote, the national electoral commission said on Sunday, though only a little over half of the population voted.

The opposition, which boycotted the vote, said the referendum would give Abdel Aziz too much power over decision-making and pave the way for him to scrap presidential term limits. It said the vote was marred by fraud.

The capital Nouakchott was on high alert before the vote on Saturday due to opposition protests in the week before, though voting went ahead on Saturday without incident. A strong police presence was seen on Sunday, according to a Reuters witness.

Abdel Aziz, who last week described the senate as "useless and too costly," has said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking.

Mauritania has never had a peaceful transfer of power and senior officials have spoken in favour of lifting term limits, currently set at two terms.

Abdel Aziz last year said he had no plans to extend the presidential mandate.

Still, police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in a series of protests in Nouakchott last week, and senators on Saturday occupied the senate building in protest.

Abdel Aziz has been an ally of the West in the fight against Islamists in the Sahara. He first came to power in a coup in 2008 and won a second term in 2014, but is barred by the constitution from running again.

Scrapping term limits would enable Abdel Aziz to follow leaders of more than a dozen other African countries including in Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and more recently Rwanda and Congo Republic. </s> Mauritanians hit the polls on Saturday in presidential elections that will see outgoing Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz step down after reaching his term limit making it the country's first peaceful transfer of power.

11 years ago Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seized power in a 2008 coup claiming he did so to prevent a return to repressive military rule.

According to the constitution the president is barred from seeking another term, making Aziz one of the few leaders in recent years across the continent to respect term limits and not try to change the constitution.

The country has a history of coups – five in total – starting from its independence from France in 1960. From then, military rulers took charge of the country until Aziz took over in 2008.

But while many are applauding the country's peaceful transfer of power, many hope to see certain issues take centre stage with the next head of state.

Namely race, security and an end to human rights abuses

In a nation of 4.5 million people, tens of thousands of people still live in slavery despite the practice being banned by the government for decades.

But anyone who dares to speak up against slavery, discrimination or other human rights abuses is at risk of arbitrary arrest, “unlawful detention and even torture” said Kine Fatim Diop, a West Africa campaigner for Amnesty International.

Meet the candidates

The successor of choice by the out-going president is the former defense minister Mohamed Ould el Ghazouani.

He was chosen by the ruling majority as a presidential candidate after his retirement.

His electoral campaign has been concentrated on his security credentials and Aziz's record on fighting Islamic extremists.

Kane Hamidou Baba, from the 'Living Together' coalition is representing parties backed by Mauritanians of sub-Saharan African descent.

The anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who was elected to Parliament in September from his prison cell, has been campaigning on a platform that Mauritania is not making enough progress towards ending forced labour including slavery.

Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, twice a former prime minister is supported by the opposition Islamist party.

Mohamed Ould Maouloud is a candidate from the opposition Coalition for Change along with Mohamed Lemine El Mourteji El Wafi who have been appealing to the support of younger Mauritanians.

Irregularities

Authorities had refused an opposition request for foreign observers at the elections.

That raised alarm among the opposition who have warned of potential vote fraud and accused the National Electoral Commission (CENI) of being bias.

If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a run-off election will take place next Saturday. </s> Nouakchott (AFP) - Counting began on Saturday in Mauritania after a referendum on constitutional changes sought by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who derided the efforts of a boycott movement that has galvanised mass protests during the campaign.

Aziz is pushing to abolish the country's Senate and several other state bodies and to make a small alteration to the national flag, measures that have galvanised boycotters hoping to sap the vote's credibility by forcing a low turnout.

Polling stations closed at 7:00 pm (1900 GMT) after peaceful voting, with no repeat of the violent clashes seen in the final week of campaigning.

After voting in the morning, Aziz said the changes would bring Mauritania "peace, security, stability and development", and dismissed the boycott movement as existing "only on paper and social media".

The boycott movement draws broad political support from figures as diverse as religious conservatives and anti-slavery activists.

They have held several protests attracting thousands of supporters, but have also been prevented from demonstrating by the security forces, who on Thursday shut down several planned rallies close to the capital with tear gas and beat protesters back with batons.

Bedenna Ould Sidi, the head of operations for the country's electoral commission, said the referendum had been a success but turnout was not available.

A source close to the electoral commission told AFP around 1400 GMT that turnout was around 20 percent in Nouakchott and 40 percent in the country's interior.

Around 1.4 million Mauritanians were eligible to vote, and results could be available as early as Sunday if counting proceeds quickly.

While Aziz and his supporters are seeking a "Yes" vote, one moderate opposition party is seeking a "No", while the rest have joined civil society groups to call for a total boycott for amendments they consider unconstitutional.

The Forum for Unity and Democracy (FNDU), a coalition of parties spearheading the boycott, thanked the Mauritanian people for their "positive response" on Saturday night and said they believed turnout had not broken 15 percent.

They repeated earlier claims that Aziz's supporters would arrange for a "vast fraud" to win the vote and promised to reveal tactics aimed at pushing through what they termed an "anticonstitutional farce".

The UN Human Rights Office said Thursday that "protest leaders were reportedly beaten up and a number of them were arrested" during campaign rallies in the last few weeks, urging the government to ensure fair and credible elections.

The opposition also fears that despite Aziz's claims to the contrary, he is laying the groundwork for a third term in power, as his own prime minister said back in July he supported the idea.

Aziz himself fuelled speculation on Saturday by saying that "in two years, or even 10 years other amendments could arise to adapt our constitution to reality," without elaborating.

He also said journalists questioning why European Union observers were not present had a "colonial mentality", describing the EU as "not a barometer for the truth."

Sidi, the polling chief, said foreign observers were present but would not be drawn on where they had come from.

The proposal to modify the constitution, in force since 1991, was rejected by the Senate in March, leading Aziz to call the referendum to push through the changes.

The most contentious measure remains the abolition of the Senate and its replacement with elected regional councils, and senators have held a sit-in this week and demanded apologies from Aziz for accusing them of corruption.

Unrepentant, Aziz said at a final rally on Thursday the Senate "costs a lot, has no use and does nothing", and vowed to launch legal action against several senators.

The president came to power in a coup in 2008 and was elected in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term.

Under the proposed change to the flag, red bands would be added to the current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star, to honour those who fought for freedom from colonial master France. </s> Mauritania voted in favour of a referendum to abolish the senate and change the national flag.

The country’s president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, on Friday described the senate as “useless and too costly.”

He has said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking.

But the county’s opposition says the exercise was just a bid by President Abdel-Aziz to bolster power and extend his mandate.

The referendum won 85 per cent of the vote, the national electoral commission said, though only a little over half of the population voted.

The opposition, which boycotted the vote, said the referendum would give Mr. Abdel-Aziz too much power over decision-making and pave the way for him to scrap presidential term limits.

Opposition aid the vote was marred by fraud.

The capital, Nouakchott, was on high alert before the vote on Saturday due to opposition protests in the week before, though voting went ahead on Saturday without incident.

According to a Reuters witness, a strong police presence was seen on Sunday.

Mauritania has never had a peaceful transfer of power and senior officials have spoken in favour of lifting term limits, currently set at two terms.

Mr. Abdel-Aziz in 2016 said he had no plans to extend the presidential mandate.

Still, police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in a series of protests in Nouakchott, and senators on Saturday occupied the senate building in protest.

Mr. Abdel-Aziz has been an ally of the West in the fight against Islamists in the Sahara.

He first came to power in a coup in 2008 and won a second term in 2014, but is barred by the constitution from running again.

Scrapping term limits would enable Abdel-Aziz to follow leaders of more than a dozen other African countries including in Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and more recently Rwanda and Congo Republic.(Reuters/NAN) </s> Nouakchott (AFP) - Mauritanians have voted to abolish their Senate and alter their national flag by referendum, the electoral commission announced Sunday, in a clear victory for President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz the day after the vote.

While turnout was 53.73 percent, 85 percent of voters on Saturday declared "Yes" to changes put to a referendum when they were defeated in the Senate in March, despite fierce criticism from a boycott movement that called mass protests during campaigning.

The boycott movement drew broad political support from figures as diverse as religious conservatives and anti-slavery activists.

Members of opposition parties spearheading the boycotters held a press conference on Sunday during which they denounced an "electoral farce which has given way to open-air fraud," adding that people "had clearly rejected the constitutional amendments."

They said they would not recognise the results of the referendum, having previously claimed the government would rig the vote.

The most contentious issue surrounding the vote, given that just one opposition party campaigned for "No" while the boycott campaign attracted several parties and civil society movements, was the turnout.

Turnout was just 36 percent in the capital, Nouakchott, but was much higher in the remote west African nation's rural areas, at times hitting 80 percent, the electoral commission said.

The boycott movement held several protests attracting thousands of supporters, but were also prevented from demonstrating by the security forces, who on Thursday shut down several planned rallies close to the capital with tear gas and beat protesters back with batons.

The UN Human Rights Office said Thursday that "protest leaders were reportedly beaten up and a number of them were arrested" during campaign rallies in the last few weeks, urging the government to ensure fair and credible elections.

Around 1.4 million Mauritanians were eligible to vote, and celebrations were expected from the select opposition parties that did support the revision.

The opposition groups opposed to the measure say they are concerned that, despite Aziz's claims to the contrary, he is laying the groundwork for a third term in power -- with his own prime minister saying back in July that he supported the idea.

Aziz himself fuelled speculation on Saturday by saying that "in two years, or even 10 years other amendments could arise to adapt our constitution to reality," without elaborating.

The proposal to modify the constitution, in force since 1991, was rejected by the Senate in March, leading Aziz to call the referendum to push through the changes.

Around 20 Senators, who have held a sit-in for three days at their chamber, suspended their protest and said they would gather Monday to consider the "fraud" committed by Aziz and his supporters, according to a statement.

President Aziz came to power in a coup in 2008 and was elected in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term.

The Mauritanian flag will now feature red bands added to the current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star, to honour the blood spilt by those who fought for freedom from colonial master France.
Voters in Mauritania head to the polls to elect a new president. The election would be the country's first democratic transition of power, as incumbent president Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz prepares to step down after having served two terms.