The ruling “Insaf” party in Mauritania won the majority of parliamentary seats in the constituencies that witnessed a second round of elections, according to figures announced by the Elections Commission on Sunday.
The party of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh al-Ghazwani strengthened its majority in the National Assembly by winning 107 out of 176 seats a year before the presidential elections, according to figures announced by the Elections Commission on Sunday.
The ruling Justice Party, which had 93 deputies in the outgoing parliament, won 80 seats during the first round of elections on May 13, and another 27 seats on Saturday out of the 36 seats that were contested in the second round.
The Mauritanian voting system combines two methods for electing deputies, as some are elected in one session, and others in two sessions.
Parties participating in the ruling coalition won 42 seats, while the opposition won only 27 seats.
The Islamist National Assembly for Reform and Development (Tawasul) remained the second party in parliament, but it won only 11 seats, compared to 14 in the outgoing parliament.
The ruling party won the 13 regional assemblies and two-thirds of the municipal councils in the May 13 ballot.
The first round of the elections sparked widespread controversy in the country, after political parties from the opposition and loyalists talked about widespread “rigging” and demanded that their results be annulled and returned.
One of the elected representatives, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, said the seriousness of the situation could lead some Mauritanians to “take up arms.” He was detained for two days before being released on Friday.
The election result strengthens the position of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al-Ghazwani, who has been leading the country since 2019. Al-Ghazwani has not officially announced his candidacy for a second term in the 2024 elections, but observers confirm that his candidacy is a foregone conclusion.
