Elections in Mauritania

Prior to the coup d'état of August 2005, Mauritania was a one party dominant state with the Democratic and Social Republican Party in power. Opposition parties were allowed, but widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.

Mauritania elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. Prior to 2006, the president was elected for a six-year term by the people, with no term limits; following the constitutional referendum of June 2006, presidential terms are now five years, with a two-term limit and a maximum age limit of 75. The Parliament (Barlamane/Parlement) has two chambers. The National Assembly (Al Jamiya al-Wataniyah/Assemblée Nationale) has 81 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh/Sénat) has 56 members, 53 members elected for a six-year term by municipal councillors with one third renewed every two years and 3 members elected by Mauritanians abroad.

Latest elections

2014 Presidential election

Main article: Mauritanian presidential election, 2014

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz	Union for the Republic	577,995	81.89
Biram Dah Abeid	Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement	61,218	8.67
Boïdiel Ould Houmeit	El Wiam	31,773	4.50
Ibrahima Moctar Sarr	Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal	31,368	4.44
Laila Maryam Mint Moulaye Idriss	Independent	3,434	0.49
Invalid/blank votes		44,077	–
Total		749,865	100
Registered voters/turnout		1,328,168	56.46
Source: CENI

2009 Presidential election

Main article: Mauritanian presidential election, 2009

 Summary of the 18 July 2009 Mauritanian presidential election results

Candidates – Parties		Votes	%
	Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz – Union for the Republic	409,100	52.58
	Messaoud Ould Boulkheir – Popular Alliance for Progress/National Front for the Defense of Democracy	126,782	16.29
	Ahmed Ould Daddah – Rally of Democratic Forces	106,263	13.66
	Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour – National Rally for Reform and Development	37,059	4.76
	Ibrahima Moctar Sarr – Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal	35,709	4.59
	Ely Ould Mohamed Vall	29,681	3.81
	Kane Hamidou Baba	11,568	1.49
	Saleh Ould Hanenna – Mauritanian Party of Union and Change	10,219	1.31
	Hamada Ould Meimou	9,936	1.28
	Sghair Ould M'Bareck	1,788	0.23
Total votes		778,105	100.00
Registered Voters/turnout		1,265,063	61.51
Sources: click4mauritania.com, Voter Turnout: Mauritania

2013 Parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held on November 23 and December 21, 2013

Main article: Mauritanian parliamentary election, 2013

2007 Senate election

 Summary of the 21 January and 4 February 2007 Senate of Mauritania election results

Parties		1st round			2nd round			Total
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	Al-Mithaq (moderate Islamist independents)	2,258	63.14	23	1,081	69.79	11	34
	Rally of Democratic Forces (Regroupement des Forces Démocratiques) and allies	365	10.21	5	98	6.33	1	6
	Rally of Democratic Forces–Union of Forces of Progress (RFD-UFP)				76	4.91	1	1
	Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (Parti Républicain Démocratique et Renouvellement)	231	6.46	3				3
	Union of Forces of Progress (Union des Forces du Progrès)	129	3.61	1	29	1.87	0	1
	Coalition of Forces for Democratic Change (Coalition des Forces de Changements)	83	2.32	3				3
	Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (Parti mauritanien de l'union et du changement/HATEM) and allies	31	0.87	1	103	6.65	2	3
	Union for Democracy and Progress (Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès) and allies	28	0.78	1				1
	People's Progressive Alliance (Alliance populaire progressiste) and allies	12	0.34	1				1
representatives of the diaspora								3
Total		3,137	100.0	38	1,387	100.0	15	56

See also

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system

External links

• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• African Elections Database