Mauritania is awaiting presidential elections, with its campaign launching next June, with the opposition Islamist National Rally for Reform and Development (Tawasul) party presenting its candidate, Amadi Ould Sid Al-Mukhtar, to compete with Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazouani for the next presidential seat.
Amid this expected “strong competition,” Rabat is awaiting the identity of the winner in the elections in its southern neighbor, the date of which was set for next June 29, according to a statement from the Mauritanian presidency in late last April.
In a message addressed to the Mauritanians, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani announced his candidacy for a second term, saying: “The president decided to fulfill the call of duty, out of his keenness to continue serving the country by consolidating the important gains achieved, opening new workshops, and launching reforms and structural projects.”
With the candidacy of Ould Sid Mokhtar, head of the opposition National Rally for Reform and Development (Tawasul) party, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeidi, the opposition MP and head of the anti-slavery IRA movement, also applied to run for the same electoral date.
Al-Azzouani has been leading Mauritania since 2019, and during this year’s elections, the surprise came when supporters of the famous former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, announced that he would also run for the presidential seat, despite facing a five-year prison sentence on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, which are awaiting an appeal ruling.
Hot political summer
Mustafa Sidiya, a Mauritanian journalist and political analyst, said, “Nouakchott is waiting for a very hot political summer, and strong competition, the expected end of which will be with Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazouani winning a second term.”
Sidiya explained this expectation in a statement to Hespress, adding, “Some say that elections in third world countries are predetermined; But in Mauritania it is not like this. There is transparency and credibility; However, Al-Ghazwani will win because of what the street sees as the achievements that have been achieved.”
The Mauritanian political analyst stated, “Ould Ghazouani’s competitors have real support from a wide segment of citizens, and the Tawasul party has a strong parliamentary bloc. However, Nouakchott does not expect major surprises in the upcoming elections, except for a small possibility that the ruling party will go to a second round.”
Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s announcement of his intention to run was accompanied by controversy within the Mauritanian street over the legality of accepting his candidacy in light of his facing a sentence of up to five years on corruption charges.
Sidiya responded to this matter, adding that “the former president faces the challenges of the approval certificate that requires the presidential candidate to be free of a criminal record, and another challenge related to recommendation by municipalities,” adding that “the problem of recommendation is not raised in Mauritania, and not in Aqaba; Also, with the certificate of exculpation, Abdel Aziz’s supporters say that he faces an uncertain sentence.”
Mauritania is one of the countries that the Kingdom considers to be allies in the region. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, confirmed in a press conference with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, that “Nouakchott represents a pole of stability in the region, and relations with it are going well.”
Al-Ghazwani serves relationships
According to Sidi Mohamed Belamesh, a Mauritanian political analyst, “relations between the two countries cannot be affected by a change in leaders and officials, and Ghazouani’s presence benefits relations with Rabat more than well.”
Belmash added to Hespress that the small possibility, which no one in Mauritania expects, is that Ghazouani will lose. Relations between the two countries will be in a normal stage, and their strength will return later, stressing that “the relations between the two countries are historical and very deep.”
The Mauritanian political analyst continued: “The nature of the Mauritanian regime has limited democracy, and the current political reality does not allow for surprises that would keep the ruling party away from power,” stressing that “the elections are an opportunity for the opposition to return strongly and compete for second place.”
Regarding the legality of the nomination of the former president convicted of corruption charges, the same spokesman stressed that it is “a political maneuver by his supporters to show that the ruling is not certain; The problem of recommendation is present in his path, and he does not expect the municipalities to offer him this gift.”
The Mauritanian presidency says, “The electoral campaign will start on June 14 at midnight, and the voting date will be June 29 for its first session, and the second will be on July 14.”
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2024-05-05 20:06:02
