Mauritanians to Vote for New President, But Status Quo Likely to Prevail

By Staff, Agencies

For the first time since Mauritania's independence, its citizens voted on Saturday for a successor to a democratically-elected president, though a government insider campaigning on a message of continuity is heavily tipped to win.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. in the election to replace President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, 62, who since seizing power in a 2008 coup has positioned himself as an ally of the West in the fight against Takfiri militants.

Located on the northwest African coast and bordered to the east by the Sahara Desert, the country gained independence from colonial power France in 1960.

Abdel Aziz is stepping aside after serving the maximum two five-year elected terms and has thrown his support behind Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, 62, a former general and defense minister.

Abdel Aziz could however maintain significant influence behind the scenes. He said on Thursday that he had not ruled out running again in five years when his term limits would reset.

Gilles Yabi, the founder of West African think tank WATHI, said Ghazouani was favored to win the election and would likely continue to rule in Abdel Aziz's mould, but that he could still surprise.

"Ghazouani is someone who is very discreet. It could well happen that the change is not merely cosmetic," Yabi said.

Five other candidates are on the ballot. Former Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, who is backed by Mauritania's biggest Islamist party, has drawn large crowds on the campaign trail and is considered Ghazouani's main rival.

Ghazouani has campaigned on economic and security progress under Abdel Aziz. The economy is growing and will receive a boost when a large offshore gas field starts producing early next decade.

Tourists are also starting to return for desert tours after years of staying away following a series of kidnappings in 2009.

In recent years, Mauritania has been spared attacks by Takfiri militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] that have devastated other countries in West Africa's Sahel region, including neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.

Al-Qaeda documents seized from Osama bin Laden's Pakistan hideout in 2011 indicated the group's leaders had discussed a possible peace deal the previous year with Mauritania's government that would involve prisoner releases and payments.

Mauritania's government denied that any such deal existed and has credited its success preventing Takfiri attacks to intelligence work and rehabilitation of imprisoned militants.

The opposition candidates, who include a prominent campaigner against slavery in the country, have tried to tap into dissatisfaction among young people over stagnating salaries and poor health care.

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the election will go to a second round next month.