Mauritania – Semi-presidentialism likely to be restored

In Mauritania, the military junta organised the so-called Etat-généraux de la démocratie from 27 December – 6 January. Many people attended, but the meeting was opened by the head of military regime, General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who set the tone of the proceedings. There were some interesting constitutional debates, but the meeting was boycotted by the opposition, the Front national pour la défense de la démocratie, mainly comprising the supporters of the former president, Sidi Ould Cheick Abdallahi, who was ousted last August.

A link to the report of the meeting is available at the Constitution en Afrique website. There are few specifics. However, the prime minister has announced that a presidential election will be held on 30 May, with a second round, if required, on 13 June. The prime minister also announced that there will be no restrictions on who will be able stand as a candidate. There is very strong speculation that General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz will stand for president, perhaps after resigning his military position beforehand.

What seems clear is that the 2005 constitution will be restored, though probably following certain modifications probably relating to the eligibility of candidates for the presidency, the role of the army, and perhaps the conditions under which the president can be removed from office. While, as I understand it, the 2005 constitution has not yet been reinstated, presumably it will be in time for the elections in May.

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