The vote has begun. Mauritanians go to the polls on Saturday (May 13th) to renew their National Assembly, regional councils and municipal councils in a triple test election for President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani a year before the presidential election.

Some 1.8 million voters are called to vote in these first elections since President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani took over in 2019 at the head of this vast West African country recognized as one of the few poles of stability in the Sahel, a region troubled by jihadist attacks.

Official election results could be released within 48 hours of voting.

A second round is scheduled for 27 May for half of the 176 seats in the Assembly, with two systems depending on the type of constituency.

The ruling party favourite

Twenty-five parties are taking part in the general elections. The party of the presidential majority, El Insaf, is the clear favourite since it is the only one to present candidates in all the constituencies.

Mauritanian presidents have always relied on a strong majority in the Assembly since the establishment of a multiparty system in 1991.

Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, 66, a general considered one of the great architects of Mauritania's success in the face of jihadism since 2011 in his former position as army chief, refrained from expressing himself on the possibility of running for a second term. But his candidacy is considered obvious in Mauritania.

Faced with the presidential camp, the Islamist party Tawassoul will seek to consolidate its place as the leading opposition party in the National Assembly, a place coveted by the Sawab party, of Arab nationalist obedience, which benefits from an alliance with the activist Biram Dah Abeid, second in the last presidential election and head of an NGO denouncing the continuation of slavery in Mauritania.

"Contributing to the development of democracy"

"Everything is ready, the ballot boxes are padlocked. Bring in the first voters," Abdelkader Berrar, president of the third polling station at the Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott, downtown the capital, said at 7:10 a.m. (local and GMT). Mauritanians can vote until 19 p.m.

"It is of course the sense of duty that brings me. Our duty is to contribute to the development of democracy. Development and peace depend on it," Mohamed Ould Cheikh, a 30-year-old mining worker, told AFP as polls opened.

"I am fulfilling a duty, which is to open up new opportunities for young people," said El-Khadir Lamine, an 18-year-old student voting for the first time. One of the novelties of the election is a list to choose young candidates under 35 years of age. Eleven seats will be allocated to them ex officio in the National Assembly.

Large lines formed in the morning in front of polling stations in the popular neighborhoods of Teyarett and Ksar of Nouakchott, where the parties managed to mobilize a lot.

The rising cost of living

Sidelmoustaphe Ould Ntilitt, in his forties, has just voted for "change in stability", hoping that the "new Parliament breathes new blood into the management of the country". Issa Habib Fall, 29, also hopes for "change". "We are poor despite our immense wealth," he said.

Inside polling stations, many voters spend a lot of time, looking for help in understanding how voters' lists work, in a country where more than 30% are illiterate.

No incidents had been reported by late morning.

The campaign took place in a peaceful atmosphere. A dialogue between the opposition and the government at the beginning of the year led to a consensus on the organisation of the elections.

After an economic slowdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has set the fight against poverty as one of his priorities. The rising cost of living is one of the main concerns of voters.

With AFP

The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app