In Mauritania, the presidential election was held on Saturday.

L’Agence Nouakchott d’Information has announced the following results:

Registered voters: 1,265,589
Voting: 817,260
Null: 34,911
Blank: 4,244
Votes cast: 778,105
Voting: 64.58%
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz: 409,100, 52.58%
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir: 126,782, 16.29%
Ahmed Ould Mohameden Ould Daddah: 106,263, 13.66%
Mohamed Jemil Ould Brahim Ould Mansour: 37,059, 4.76% (moderate Islamist candidate)
Ibrahima Moctar Sarr: 35,709, 4.59% (black Mauritanian candidate, supported the coup)
Ely Mohamed Vall Eleya: 29,681, 3.81%
Kane Hamidou Baba: 11,568, 1.49%
Saleh Ould Mohamedou Ould Hanena: 10,219, 1.31%
Sghair Ould MBareck: 1,788, 0.23%
Hamady Abdallahi Meimou: 8,936, 1.28%

So, the leader of last August’s coup has been elected president at the first ballot. Perhaps unsurprisingly, various opposition candidates have cried foul. Specifically, jeuneafrique reports that Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, Ahmed Ould Daddah, Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (junta leader from 2005-2007, but overseer of the return to democracy and anti-coup candidate) and Hamadi Ould Meimou have collectively denounced the result as an “electoral coup”. Given the election was based on an agreement with the opposition that resulted in a power-sharing arrangement, it will be interesting to see whether the agreement survives.