Mauritanians Cast Votes in First Local Elections Since 2019, Seen as Test of President’s Popularity
On Saturday (13 May), voters in Mauritania participated in their first local elections since President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani took office in 2019. The outcome is being viewed as a barometer of the president’s popularity before next year’s presidential elections, which he has not yet confirmed whether he will contest.
Despite uncertainty over his candidacy, Ghazouani is widely expected to seek re-election. He is credited with bringing relative stability to the country amidst the ongoing violence in the Sahel region.
The 1.8 million registered voters are expected to elect 176 members of parliament, 15 regional councils, and 238 municipal councils, with 25 parties vying for their support. Ghazouani’s El Insaf party is a front-runner, as it is the only party fielding candidates in all constituencies.
The opposition includes Islamist movement Tewassoul and Arab nationalist Sawab, with the former being the main opposition party in the outgoing parliament. Voters have expressed a desire for elected officials to fulfill their promises to boost the economy, create jobs, and develop all areas of the country, especially for women.
The first-round election results are expected to be announced within 48 hours of poll closings. A second round of voting is scheduled for May 27 for half of the 176 National Assembly seats.
