Al-Ali was born disabled in 1992, in one of the interior regions of Mauritania, and the disability was not severe with him in his childhood, as he could sit, and with his age, his bones began to harden, thus making him unable to move.
Al-Ali became interested in politics early on, as he joined one of the most prominent opposition parties in the country. He became one of the most prominent influencers on the social networking site “Facebook”, followed by more than 90,000 people.
His fame on Facebook enabled him to receive significant sums of money, after his disability prevented him from working.
Al-Ali told Sky News Arabia: “My family supported the idea of my candidacy for parliament, and when I announced it on Facebook, the party I belonged to contacted me in support of this step. I aspired to reach decision-making positions, because I am obsessed with politics.”
He adds: “People with special needs will be my first issue if I am elected, because I know very well the marginalization, exclusion, and bullying that this group is exposed to, like what was happening to me.. I will be a voice for all the marginalized, and I will continue to practice politics, even if I am not elected.” electoral.”
Two seats for people with disabilities
At the beginning of this year, the Mauritanian parliament approved amendments to a number of draft laws related to elections, within the framework of the political agreement signed between the government and political parties, which was signed last September.
The amendments included adding a new national list for youth, consisting of 11 seats, including at least two seats for people with special needs. As a result, competition for these two seats intensified, especially among influencers from this segment.
Among the competitors is Sayed Ahmed Ould Ali, 47, who was born with a handicap and one of his feet. Sayed Ahmed is a media professional, collaborating with a public media outlet, and began engaging in politics months ago.
Sayed Ahmed told Sky News Arabia that he ran “out of his personal conviction, through a party that has a serious political project.”
And Syed Ahmed points out that the possibility of “winning this election is slim because of the competition, and he decided to take this adventure nonetheless.”
And he adds in his speech that he “will continue in politics, even if he is not elected, in order to defend the simple, and those with needs, in particular.”
Two seats are not enough
Allocating only two seats in parliament for this forgotten segment on the sidelines is not enough, according to some participants in these elections, who spoke to Sky News Arabia.
Among them is Muhammad Ahmed Islam, whose disability did not prevent him from running an “electronic” media institution, and from practicing politics, which he has been involved in for more than 10 years.
Islamo’s son was handicapped two years after his birth, as a result of not being vaccinated against polio.
Weld Islamou told Sky News Arabia: “Two seats are not enough for people with special needs, which represent a large percentage of Mauritanian society. It was fair to allocate at least 5 seats or more to them.”
He added, “I seek, through my candidacy for these elections, to raise the voice of the oppressed, and those with special needs in particular.. I also seek, if elected, to bring them to decision-making positions, and to the position they deserve.”
The electoral campaign for female parliamentarians, municipal and regional representatives, was launched on April 28, with the participation of 25 political parties. Voters are scheduled to go to the polls to vote on Saturday, corresponding to the 13th of May.
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