Only one day left before the presidential election in Mauritania. About 1.94 million voters are called to the polls to choose the new president, among the seven candidates in the running. Among the contenders for the supreme office, the outgoing president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who is seeking a second term. For the moment, he is the favorite.
To his voters, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani promises greater economic growth, an intense fight against extremism as well as the implementation of social programs to eradicate poverty. The outgoing president is determined to keep his post and he defends the results of his first five-year term.
“ It is no coincidence that Mauritania presents itself as an exception in a region plagued by turbulence ,” says Aïssata Lam, spokesperson for President Ghazouani. “ Terrorism, banditry and insecurity have a tendency to develop in environments in which poverty and lack of education reign. The major socio-economic development projects, which were launched to improve living conditions in vulnerable regions of the country, have made it possible to considerably reduce the risks of radicalization and criminal drift ,” she adds.
“ Under Ghazouni’s rule, retirement pensions have doubled,” the spokesperson says, “more than 1.5 million Mauritanians have benefited from social assistance and more than 100,000 families have benefited from state-paid health insurance. The government has improved military capabilities to combat terrorism and implemented deradicalization and social reintegration programs, which promote religious dialogue ,” she says.
The opposition denounces a catastrophic record
Opposition figure and anti-slavery activist, Biram Dah Abeid is very critical of the outgoing president: “The Mauritanian regime has always lived off the pillage of wealth, the repression of populations and the use of forgery. Under Ghazouani's rule, he said, "corruption is in full swing, as is the squandering of state money . "
The presidential campaign, which opened on June 14, ended on Thursday, June 27, 2024.