Opposition parties are actively voicing their discontent with the conduct of the ballot and denouncing irregularities that occurred during the ballot. Mauritanians are impatiently awaiting the final results of the regional and municipal legislative elections that took place last Saturday.
The Sawab party, joined by former anti-slavery MP Biram Dah Abeid, and the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) party openly discussed the dysfunctions during the ballot on Saturday, May 13th, before the final results had trickled in for several days on the electoral commission’s website.
Relocation of some polling stations
Among the criticisms mentioned: the last-minute relocation of certain polling stations on D-Day, which would have – according to them discouraged voters from going to vote, but also the lack of verification of the identity of voters or even the blocking – for several hours – of certain representatives of the opposition candidate lists in several polling stations.
Transparency and smooth running
While acknowledging the delay in the conduct of the ballot, the spokesperson, Taghiyoullah El Edhem underlines the transparency and the smooth running of the process: “At this stage, no breach reported is likely to influence the results of the ballot or allows us to doubt their credibility. The process takes place according to established rules. We have made sure that the representatives of each political party can obtain copies of the minutes for more transparency.”
While the CENI recommends that the various parties wait for the final results before issuing any criticisms or demands, some are already asking for the organization of new elections.