Nouakchott (agencies)
Today, Mauritanians go to voting centers to choose their president from among seven candidates competing in direct presidential elections, after two weeks of propaganda campaigns that concluded on Thursday evening.
Outgoing President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, the front-runner to win a new term, pledged at his last campaign rally in the capital, Nouakchott, to ensure a smooth election.
He warned of any disturbances on polling day. He told a crowd of his supporters, “The authorities are ready to confront any attempt to create chaos, because security is the highest priority for Mauritanians.”
The election campaign was relatively calm, except for clashes that occurred on Monday in the northern city of Nouadhibou. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that “supporters of one candidate” attacked supporters of another candidate, without specifying their identities.
Candidate Biram Dah Abeid, who came in second in the last two presidential elections, concluded his campaign with a mass rally in Nouadhibou. Addressing his supporters, he said, “The size of this rally indicates that we have won the elections.”
Al-Ghazouani, who was elected in 2019, is topping the opinion polls and most expectations are for him to win a second presidential term in this country, which is seen as an oasis of relative stability in a region witnessing security and political turmoil, as Mauritania – unlike its neighbors – has been able to contain security threats, which are It is preparing to start gas production later this year.
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