Mauritania: Tentative election days set

  1. Posted on Tuesday 2 June 2009 - 15:43
    KingsleyKobo
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    Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
    After five days of intense negotiation in Dakar, Senegal, the International Group of Contact resolving Mauritanian's political impasse has proposed new dates for its presidential elections. They set 18 July and 1st August 2009 for the first and possibly second leg elections respectively.
    mauritania coup leader
    “It is now up to Mauritanian’s parties to pronounce on these new dates, and this will be their last chance in finding a lasting solution to the country’s political crisis,” said Ramtane Lamamra, African Union’s commissioner in charge of peace and security.

    According to AFP, this proposition was reached on Monday evening by the ambassadors who make up the Contact Group.

    Furthermore, the formation of a government of national union was also proposed by the ambassadors, giving Mauritanian’s actual military leader, Abdel Aziz, a free hand to choose a prime minister. He will also get half of the ministerial seats in the new government.

    Mauritanian’s two major opposition parties, Assembly of Democratic Forces (RFD) and the National Front for the Defence of Democracy (FNDD), have issued statements criticizing this new proposition that gives the military head of state a too-big share of 50% of the cabinet ministries. They however said they would consult their bases for a final pronouncement.

    General Aziz seized power in a military coup in August, 2008, after an unpopular dismissal of high-ranking military officers by then incumbent president, Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

    In a bid to gain international recognition, Gen. Aziz named a civilian prime minister, Ould Mohamed Laghdaf, but instead received torrent of condemnations from the international community and lack of support from Mauritanian politicians. He has since agreed to share power with opposition parties.

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