AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Mauritania
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
President: Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi [since 19 April 2007; elected 2007] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
Prime Minister: Zeine Ould Zeidane [since 20 April 2007] The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
Parliament [bicameral] 
--Senate (56 Seats) 53 members are indirectly elected by municipal councillors, 3 additional members representing Mauritanians abroad are chosen by the senators; members serve 6-year terms.
--National Assembly (95 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies using the two-round (run-off) system; members serve 5-year terms. 
Political Situation since Independence
1960-1961 Restricted Democratic Practice
1961-1978 One Party State (PPM)
1978-1991 Military Regime
1991-1992 Multiparty Transition
1992-2005 Restricted Democratic Practice
2005-2007 Military Regime
2007-        Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 5, Civil Liberties - 4, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2012
Next Scheduled Senatorial Election: 2013
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2011
Political Parties: AC - Action for Change, Alternative*, APP - Popular Progressive Alliance, FP - Popular Front, HATEM - Mauritanian Party for Union and Change, PCD - Democratic Cooperation Party**, PLEJ - Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice, PMR - Mauritanian Renewal Party, PMRC - Mauritanian Party of Renewal and Concord (centrist), PPM - Mauritanian People’s Party, PRDR - Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal, PRDS - Democratic and Social Republican Party (authoritarian), PRM - Mauritanian Regroupment Party, PUDS - Social Democratic Unionist Party, RD - Democratic Renewal, RDU - Rally for Democracy and Unity, RFD - Rally of Democratic Forces, RNDLE - National Rally for Democracy, Liberty, and Equality, UCD - Union of the Democratic Center, UDP - Union for Democracy and Progress, UFD - Union of Democratic Forces, UFP - Union of the Forces of Progress, UNM - Mauritanian National Union, UPSD - Popular Social and Democratic Union.
*No Party Acronym Available.
**Sometimes called the Democratic Convergence Party.
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Single Party: 1966, 1971, 1976
--Multiparty: 1961, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2007
Legislative
--Single Party: 1965, 1971, 1976
--Multiparty: 1959, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2006
Referenda: 1991, 2006
 
 
May 1959 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (40)

Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM)

40

 
Note: Mauritania gained independence from France on 28 November 1960. From that date until his election as President in August 1961, Prime Minister Moktar Ould Daddah was the country's acting Head of State.
 
August 1961 Presidential Election
Moktar Ould Daddah, candidate of the Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM), was elected President unopposed. The Mauritanian National Union (UNM) supported his candidacy. No figures are available.
 
Note: In December 1961, all of the country's political parties merged to form a single party - the Mauritanian People's Party (PPM).
 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Mauritanian People's Party (PPM) 1961-1978

May 1965 National Assembly Election

07 August 1966 Presidential Election (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

09 August 1971 Presidential Election (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

09 August 1971 National Assembly Election (50 Seats)

Registered Voters

534,994

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

511,414 (95.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

    7,008

Total Valid Votes

504,406

PPM

504,406 (100.00%)

08 August 1976 Presidential Election (Moktar Ould Daddah re-elected unopposed)

08 August 1976 National Assembly Election

 
12 July 1991 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Multiparty System, Bicameral Parliament, No Presidential Term Limits

Registered Voters

857,121

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

731,512 (85.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

    3,020

Total Valid Votes

728,492

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

713,493

97.94%

"No" Votes

14,999

02.06%

 
24 January 1992 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

1,184,372

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   551,356 (46.6%)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya (PRDS)

62.65%

Ahmed Ould Daddah (UFD)

32.73%

Moustapha Ould Mohamed Saleck

2.86%

Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mah (UPSD)

1.38%

*The percentage of votes received by candidates does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
 
06 & 13 March 1992 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

1,174,087

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   456,237 (38.9%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

       5,670

Total Valid Votes

   450,567

Party

Number of Seats (79)

Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)

67

Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)

01

Mauritanian Party of Renewal (PMR)

01

Independents

10

 
11 & 18 October 1996 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (79)

Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)

70

Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)

01

Action for Change (AC)

01

Independents

07
*The main opposition party, Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), boycotted the election.
 
12 December 1997 Presidential Election*/**

Registered Voters

1,203,357

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   900,200 (74.7%)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya (PRDS)

90.14%

Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine

7.00%

Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid (PMRC)

0.86%

Mohammed Mahmoud Ould Mah (UPSD)

0.72%

Kane Amadou Moctar

0.37%

*Boycotted by the main opposition parties. 
**The percentage of votes received by candidates does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
 
19 & 26 October 2001 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

1,028,630

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   560,045 (54.4%)

Party

Number of Seats (81)

Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)

64

Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)

03

Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP)

03

Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD)

03

Action for Change (AC)

04

Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP)

03

Popular Front (FP)

01

 
07 November 2003 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

1,106,827

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   682,679 (61.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

   666,886

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya (PRDS)

446,966

67.38%

Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla

124,483

18.77%

Ahmed Ould Daddah

45,687

6.89%

Messaoud Ould Boulkheir

33,239

5.01%

Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid

9,909

1.49%

Aïcha Mint Jeddane

3,040

0.46%

*Official results published by the constitutional council state that 666,886 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of votes among candidates totals 663,324 (a difference of 3,562 votes). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast. Results based on the first figure (666,886 valid votes) are as follows: Ould Taya (67.02%), Ould Haidalla (18.67%), Ould Daddah (6.85%), Ould Boulkheir (4.98%), Ould Jeid (1.49%), and Jeddane (0.46%).
 
25 June 2006 Constitutional Referendum*
Main Points: A limit of two five-year terms for a president elected by popular vote; Maximum presidential age limit of 75.

Registered Voters

 989,664

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

756,643 (76.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

  21,914

Total Valid Votes

 734,729

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

712,214

96.9%

"No" Votes

10,482

1.4%

"Neutral" Votes**

11,951

1.6%

*Official results published by the constitutional council state that 734,729 valid votes were cast, but the distribution of ballots among yes, no, and neutral votes totals 734,647 (a difference of 82 votes). Percentage figures in the table are based on the latter number of valid votes cast.
**Voters who were neither for nor against the constitution.
 
19 November & 03 December 2006 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (95)

Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD)

15

Union of the Forces for Progress (UFP)

08

Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (PRDR)

07

Popular Progressive Alliance (APP)

05

Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)

03

Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP)

03

Mauritanian Party for Union and Change (HATEM)

02

Democratic Renewal (RD)

02

Rally of Democratic Forces-Union of the Forces for Progress (RFD-UFP)

02

Mauritanian Party for Union and Change-Popular Progressive Alliance (HATEM-APP)

02

Popular Front (FP)

01

Social Democratic Unionist Party (PUDS)

01

Alternative

01

National Rally for Democracy, Liberty, and Equality (RNDLE)

01

Union of the Democratic Center (UCD)

01

Independents

41

 
March 2007 Presidential Election
First Round (11 March 2007)

Registered Voters

1,133,152

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   794,979 (70.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     54,129

Total Valid Votes

   740,850

Second Round (25 March 2007)

Registered Voters

1,132,877

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   764,045 (67.4%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     57,340

Total Valid Votes

   706,705

Candidate (Party)

First Round

Second Round

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi

183,726

24.80%

373,520

52.85%

Ahmed Ould Daddah (RFD)

153,252

20.69%

333,185

47.15%

Zeine Ould Zeidane

113,182

15.28%

-

-

Messaoud Ould Boulkheir (APP)

72,493

9.79%

-

-

Ibrahima Moctar Sarr

58,878

7.95%

-

-

Saleh Ould Hanenna (HATEM)

56,700

7.65%

-

-

Mohamed Ould Maouloud (UFP)

30,254

4.08%

-

-

Dahane Ould Ahmed Mahmoud

15,326

2.07%

-

-

Mohamed Ould Cheikhna

14,200

1.92%

-

-

Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla

12,813

1.73%

-

-

Ethmane Ould Cheikh Ebi El Maali

10,868

1.47%

-

-

Ba Mamadou Alassane (PLEJ)

4,076

0.55%

-

-

Mohamed Ahmed Ould Baba Ahmed Ould Salihi

2,779

0.38%

-

-

Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid (PMRC)

2,535

0.34%

-

-

Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine

2,111

0.28%

-

-

Rajel dit Rachid Moustapha (PMR)

1,977

0.27%

-

-

Sidi Ould Isselmou Ould Mohamed Ahid

1,784

0.24%

-

-

Isselmou Ould El Moustapha (PCD)

1,779

0.24%

-

-

Mohamed Ould Mohamed El Moctar Ould Tomi

1,465

0.20%

-

-

Mohamed Ould Ghoulam Ould Sidaty

652

0.09%

-

-