Mauritania: voters divided between hope in youth and disappointment in politics

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The National Assembly in Nouakchott, May 2023; (illustrationo) © Sidy Yansané / RFI

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

In Mauritania, legislative and local elections are being held on Saturday 13 May. The campaign ended on Thursday evening, May 11. More than one million voters are called upon to choose their deputies, mayors and regional councillors. Voters in this election are torn between the hope of the new lists and the general disappointment of politics.

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With our special envoy in Nouakchott, Sidy Yansané

The BMD crossroads market is teeming with people at the end of the day. Here, opinions are very divided on Saturday's elections. Some are particularly seduced by the new list specially allocated to young candidates for deputation:

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It can really change things. I advise young people to just go and vote, for themselves: because young people only know what young people want," said one resident.

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If I do not vote, it is as if I had voted. If you want things to change, you have to participate in the change, says another resident. So no, young people and everyone, everyone has to go and vote. Because this is precisely what must reflect certain realities, like a possible change for a better future.

But many remain undecided, even disappointed with politics: "There is no program, there is no idea, there is nothing that makes you want to get started, to know a little more," lamented a Mauritanian woman.

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Politicians come to us only when there is an election, only to get our vote, another prosecution. But in reality, they work for themselves, for their pockets and for their communities, never for the people. I don't recognize myself in them.

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They will pay us to buy our IDs, so that we can vote for them. Afterwards, they don't care about the country, they are not going to help us, while we are here, we are citizens, we have studied, we have our diplomas, but we have no job. We suffer and they have the means to support us but do not," said another Mauritanian.

With the introduction of the new lists allocated to women and young people, the participation rate is also one of the issues at stake in the election.

Mauritanians divided over elections

Sidy Yansané

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• Mauritania