Mauritanians voted on Saturday in a presidential election where incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani is widely anticipated to win.
Ghazouani, 67, has committed to increasing investment in the West African nation as it gears up to begin natural gas production.
As a former top military officer, he has pledged investor-friendly policies to stimulate a commodities boom in the country of 5 million people, many of whom live in poverty despite its abundant fossil fuel and mineral resources.
After casting his vote in the capital, Ghazouani stated, “The last word belongs to the Mauritanian voters. I commit myself to respecting their choice.”
Polling stations opened at 0700 GMT and will close at 1900 GMT, with provisional results expected on Sunday.
Ghazouani, who was first elected in 2019, is running against six opponents, including anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who finished second in the 2019 election with over 18% of the vote.
Other challengers include lawyer Id Mohameden M’Bareck, economist Mohamed Lemine El Mourtaji El Wafi, and Hamadi Sidi El Mokhtar of the Islamist Tewassoul party.
After casting his ballot soon after polls opened in the capital Nouakchott, 39-year-old geographer Mohamed Cheikh Hadrami said he voted for a candidate “who will be able to reconcile Mauritanians,” but declined to specify who he had chosen.
Around 2 million people were registered to vote, with major election issues including fighting corruption and creating jobs for the youth.
Should he win re-election, Ghazouani has committed to establishing a natural gas-fired power plant as part of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyin offshore gas project, set to commence production by year-end.
Additionally, he aims to enhance investments in renewable energy and expand mining operations in gold, uranium, and iron ore.
Since assuming office in 2019, Ghazouani has overseen a period of relative stability, contrasting with the turmoil faced by Mauritania’s Sahel neighbors like Mali, grappling with Islamist insurgencies and subsequent military coups.
Despite Mauritania’s recent absence of militant attacks, Ghazouani, who also chairs the African Union, has pledged to tackle Islamist threats head-on.
Challenging Ghazouani, activist Abeid has criticized his human rights record and the marginalization of Mauritania’s Black African population.
Meanwhile, El Mokhtar has garnered support among conservative and religious voters.
According to Mucahid Durmaz, senior West Africa analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, “President Ghazouani is widely expected to secure victory in the initial round of voting.”
“The president’s chances of reelection have been strengthened by his ruling party’s decisive win in last year’s legislative elections,” he remarked.
Should no candidate obtain more than 50% of the vote, a second round of elections will follow.
In Nouakchott, one opposition supporter, speaking anonymously, expressed doubts about Ghazouani’s ability to win outright “if the voting process is transparent.”
During the previous election, certain opposition candidates raised concerns about the legitimacy of the vote, leading to minor protests.
After voting, El Mokhtar stated, ” Everything indicates that people want change.”
“I will have no problem recognizing the results of a transparent election, but if fraud occurs, we will not hesitate to call it a rigged election.”
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