(29 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nouakchott, Mauritania - 29 June 2024
1. Various of President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani voting
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of Mauritania:
“I reiterate here my commitment to transparent, fair and credible elections and our confidence in the results they will produce. The last word goes to the Mauritanian voters to determine who will assume leadership of the country for the next five years. Ultimately, the real winner is the Mauritanian citizen, the Mauritanian people and Mauritanian democracy.”
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani cast his ballot in the capital Nouakchott on Saturday as he sought a second term in his position.
The election happened during a security crisis in the wider region.
After voting, Ghazouani said he was committed to "transparent, fair and credible elections."
Ghazouani is a former army chief who came to power in 2019 following the first democratic transition in the country’s history.
Last year, his El Insaf party scored a crushing victory in the legislative election, taking 107 of the 176 seats in the National Assembly.
Mauritania has positioned itself as a beacon of stability in a region fraught with violence and prone to military coups.
Though the country has a long history of military rule, it has largely evaded the conflict that has beset its Sahelian neighbors.
With most of its territory in the Sahara desert, Mauritania has increased security near its border with Mali, a country which has suffered under an ongoing Islamist insurgency for more than a decade that has at times spilled into Mauritania’s territory.
Ghazouani’s main opposition is Biram Dah Abeid, a Black anti-slavery activist who has accused him of gross mismanagement of the country.
Results are expected in the coming days, with Ghazouani widely anticipated to win a second term.
If no candidate is able to secure at least 50% of the vote, there will be a second round of voting on July 14.
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