President of Mauritania Officially Declares Candidacy for Presidential Race
Ould El-Ghazaouani reiterates his commitment to confront with full force and severity all practices of corruption, bribery, and encroachment on public funds
President Mohamed Ould El-Ghazaouani has officially announced his candidacy for a second term in the presidential elections scheduled for June. Ould El-Ghazaouani, who has been leading the vast West African state since 2019, emphasized his commitment to confronting corruption, bribery, and misuse of public funds.
The 67-year-old Ould El-Ghazaouani assumed office amidst a backdrop of stability despite the escalating jihadist violence in the Sahel region. He came to power with an electoral victory estimated at around 52% of the votes. He stated that his decision to seek reelection was in response to the call of duty and a commitment to continue serving the citizens.
He described the upcoming presidential elections as a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s democratic system and pledged to review plans and develop programs to propel the nation towards further progress and development.
Ould El-Ghazaouani stressed his determination to confront corruption, bribery, and misuse of public funds, acknowledging the political and social instability in many parts of the world resulting from discord among the people and the prevalence of exclusionary practices over dialogue and consultation.
He highlighted his efforts to prevent the country’s political and institutional crisis from escalating into a multidimensional crisis, recognizing the fragility threatening unity, democracy, and stability.
As the current President of the African Union, Ould El-Ghazaouani is considered the frontrunner in opinion polls. His party, “El-Inchaar,” scored a landslide victory in the legislative elections last year, securing 107 out of 176 seats in the National Assembly, significantly surpassing the Islamic “Tawassoul” party, which won 11 seats.
The elections held on May 13th last year sparked widespread controversy in Mauritania, with political parties from both opposition and ruling coalitions alleging widespread “fraud” and demanding the annulment and rerun of the elections.
Opposition figure and anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid also announced his candidacy on Wednesday, following his second-place finish in the previous presidential elections.
Abeid, whose movement “IRA” lacks legal recognition, expressed concerns about the electoral process, citing flaws in the electoral register and biases of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Previous statements from opposition parties expressed concerns about the current Independent National Electoral Commission’s inability to organize transparent elections.
Mauritania witnessed a series of coups from 1978 to 2008, before the 2019 elections marked the first democratic transition between elected presidents.
While jihadist activity has spread elsewhere in the Sahel region, particularly in neighboring Mali, Mauritania has not experienced any attacks since 2011.
According to a presidential decree issued this month, the campaign will begin at midnight on June 14th and end at midnight on June 27th. The first round of presidential elections is scheduled for June 29th, with the possibility of a runoff on July 14th.
