MAURITANIA: Mauritanians vote to choose a President and restore civilian rule to the Saharan Islamic state

Record ID: 872790

  • Title: MAURITANIA: Mauritanians vote to choose a President and restore civilian rule to the Saharan Islamic state
  • Date: 12th March 2007
  • Summary: MAURITANIA HEAD OF THE MILITARY COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY ELY OULD MOHAMED VALL REGISTERING FOR VOTE PHOTOGRAPHERS MOHAMED VALL CASTING VOTE
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mauritania
  • City:
  • Country: Mauritania
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA2GCYV58AIHITKZGW57854FZZ
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  • Story Text: Mauritanians vote to choose a president and restore civilian rule to the Saharan Islamic state after 19 months under a military junta.
    Mauritanians voted on Sunday (March 11) to choose a president and restore civilian rule to the Saharan Islamic state after 19 months under a military junta.
    Voters and international observers hope the poll can establish a civilian democracy in the former French colony, which has experienced coups and years of authoritarian rule since independence in 1960.
    Counting began almost as soon as polling stations closed in the dusty capital Nouakchott and oasis towns in the desert.
    "We had an important affluence of voters since the first hours of the day and until the afternoon so we have an important participacion rate that goes above the 85 per cent," Mohamed Vadel Cheikh Saadbouh, president of polling station No. 2 in Nouakchott's Tevragh Zeina neighbourhood, told Reuters.
    Just over 1 million voters were choosing between 19 candidates, including an opposition figure, a former military ruler, an ex-central bank governor and a descendant of black slaves, to rule the country straddling Arab and black Africa.
    Provisional results were not expected before Monday. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent, a second round will be held on March 25 to decide between the two frontrunners.
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