Mauritanian presidential election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Mauritanian presidential election took place in Mauritania
on 12 December 1997. Incumbent
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
won the election with 91% of the vote. Voter turnout was 74.7%.
in 1984 and ruled Mauritania as one-party state for the next 8 years. Under the 1991 constitution
multi-party democracy was introduced with Taya being elected with 62% of the vote in the 1992 presidential election
.
However the opposition alleged that the 1992 election had been fraudulent and the main opposition groups in Mauritania boycott
ed the 1997 election as they said it would not be a fair contest with, for instance, the electoral commission
not being independent.
(RDU) and a faction of the Union of Democratic Forces
.
Four candidates challenged Taya including, Kane Amadou Moctar, the first black African to run for President in a country that had been dominated politically by Moors
since independence. Moctar was a former hospital administrator who pledged to oppose slavery
and establish a new policy of fisheries. Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine was a former cabinet minister who had quit the RDU to form his own party and campaigned to eliminate slavery.
Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid was the secretary general of the Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concord and in his campaign called for press censorship to be ended. Lastly Mohammed Mahmoud Ould Mah was the secretary general of the Popular Social and Democratic Union. He had contested the 1992 election and pledged to renegotiate agreements with the European Union
and International Monetary Fund
if he was elected.
in the capital Nouakchott
and the second city Nouadhibou
was low but turnout was reported by the government to be higher elesewhere in the country. Taya won just over 90% of the vote, with the former minister Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine coming second with 7%.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
on 12 December 1997. Incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , was Prime Minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 1984 and president from 1984 to 2005. He guided Mauritania from military rule to democracy, and took a pro-Western stance in foreign affairs...
won the election with 91% of the vote. Voter turnout was 74.7%.
Background
President Taya came to power in a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1984 and ruled Mauritania as one-party state for the next 8 years. Under the 1991 constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
multi-party democracy was introduced with Taya being elected with 62% of the vote in the 1992 presidential election
Mauritanian presidential election, 1992
Presidential elections were held in Mauritania on 24 January 1992. They followed the constitutional referendum the previous year that resulted in the reintroduction of multi-party democracy, and were the first presidential elections to feature more than one candidate...
.
However the opposition alleged that the 1992 election had been fraudulent and the main opposition groups in Mauritania boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
ed the 1997 election as they said it would not be a fair contest with, for instance, the electoral commission
Election management body
An election management body or EMB is the authority in a nation charged with administering the electoral process. EMBs can be independent, mixed, judicial or governmental. The EMB may also be responsible for electoral boundary delimitation...
not being independent.
Candidates
The campaign began on 27 November with President Taya the clear favourite. Taya focused on the performance of the economy and reinforcing democracy during his campaign. Taya was backed by the Mouvance Presidentielle, which included the Rally for Democracy and UnityRally for Democracy and Unity
The Rally for Democracy and Unity is a political party in Mauritania.At the last legislative elections, held between 19 and 26 October, 2001, the party won 9.6 % of the popular vote and 3 out of 81 seats. The party won in the 19 November and 3 December 2006 elections 3 out of 95 seats....
(RDU) and a faction of the Union of Democratic Forces
Union of Democratic Forces (Mauritania)
The Union of Democratic Forces-New Era was a political party in Mauritania, founded in 1991. The secretary-general of the party was Ahmed Ould Daddah...
.
Four candidates challenged Taya including, Kane Amadou Moctar, the first black African to run for President in a country that had been dominated politically by Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
since independence. Moctar was a former hospital administrator who pledged to oppose slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and establish a new policy of fisheries. Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine was a former cabinet minister who had quit the RDU to form his own party and campaigned to eliminate slavery.
Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid was the secretary general of the Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concord and in his campaign called for press censorship to be ended. Lastly Mohammed Mahmoud Ould Mah was the secretary general of the Popular Social and Democratic Union. He had contested the 1992 election and pledged to renegotiate agreements with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
if he was elected.
Election results
President Taya won the election with official figures showing a turnout of around 74%, however the opposition claimed that their boycott had been successful and did not accept the official results. Voter turnoutVoter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
in the capital Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
and the second city Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 75,000 inhabitants expanding to over 90,000 in the larger metropolitan area. It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of...
was low but turnout was reported by the government to be higher elesewhere in the country. Taya won just over 90% of the vote, with the former minister Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine coming second with 7%.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , was Prime Minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 1984 and president from 1984 to 2005. He guided Mauritania from military rule to democracy, and took a pro-Western stance in foreign affairs... |
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal The Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal is a political party in Mauritania. Formerly known as the Democratic and Social Republican Party , , the grouping has changed its identity and adjusted its political stance following the 2005 coup... |
800,333 | 91.0 |
| Chbih Ould Cheikh Malainine | Independent | 62,138 | 7.1 |
| Moulaye El Hacen Ould Jeid | Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concord | 7,652 | 0.9 |
| Mohammed Mahmoud Ould Mah | Popular Social and Democratic Union | 6,352 | 0.7 |
| Kane Amadou Moctar | Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice | 3,326 | 0.4 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 19,643 | ||
| Total | 899,444 | 100 | |
| Source: Nohlen et al | |||