From the APS special envoy: Abdou Kogne Sall
Nouakchott, June 29 (APS) – The head of the electoral observation mission of the African diaspora based in Europe, Jean Kouadjaman Amoikon Eba, expressed his confidence in the “normal continuation” of the presidential election in Mauritania.
“What we have seen on the ground allows us to believe that the election will continue in peace and security. The operations were timid at the opening but I think that by the end of the day the Mauritanians will vote massively,” he confided to the APS special envoy.
“This morning, we visited voting centers and we noticed that the polls were open at 7 a.m. This is a historic election with two million registered voters. We hope that Mauritanians will express themselves in peace and freely choose the president who will lead them for the next five years,” noted Jean Kouadjaman Amoikon Eba.
He did not fail to stress the fact that it was still premature to make an assessment. “We should wait until the end of the process to make a decision,” he said.
An Ivorian national, Jean Kouadjaman Amoikon Eba is leading the observation mission for the presidential election in Mauritania on behalf of the African diaspora established in Europe.
He assures that the mission deployed in Mauritania from June 6, was able to supervise the progress of the electoral campaign, based on the principle that it was necessary to follow the entire process, “before, during and after the vote”.
Nearly two million Mauritanian voters will go to the polls this Saturday to elect a president of the Republic from among seven candidates including the outgoing head of state, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al Ghazouani.
Having come to power in 2019 following an initial democratic transition, President Al Ghazouani managed to obtain a second term.
Anti-slavery activist Birahim Da Abeid, who came second in the previous presidential election with more than 18% of the vote, is presented as the main opponent of the outgoing president in this election.
Mohamed Lemine Murtaji Ould Wafi, Hamadi Ould Sidi El Mokhtar, Mamadou Bocar Ba, Professor Outama Soumaré and Mouhameden Mbareck are the other candidates in this election.
Friday, the spokesperson for the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), Mohamed Taqiyouallah Aladham, quoted by the Mauritanian Information Agency (AMI) assured that “all conditions were met to allow voters to express themselves through the ballot boxes”, guaranteeing in particular “the holding of a free and impartial vote”.
AKS/SMD
