The final result of the recently held national legislative elections in the west African country of Mauritania witnessed the ruling party, Union for the Republic (UPR), making a thumping comeback by winning 74 of the total 147 seats. A further 34 seats were captured by UPR allies adding handsomely to the coalition's already impressive tally in an election which was boycotted by several opposition parties.
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More:
- The opposition coalition in all seized 37 seats, led by the Tawassoul Islamist party (TIP), with 16 legislators.
- TIP, considered an offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood, was banned until 2007.
- It took the country two rounds of voting to get a complete poll result.
- The second round of voting was undertaken on 26 out of the total 147 seats which had no clear winners in the first round.
- The election was the first since an army coup catapulted Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to power in 2008.
- Abdel Aziz is now the President of the country having won a presidential election in 2009.
About the country:
- At least one of every 10 people in this country are slaves (highest in the world in per centage term).
- Mineral rich Mauritania has reserves of iron ore, copper and gold.
- The country seeks close alliance with the west to encourage exploration in its offshore oil and gas sector.
- The sparsely populated Islamic republic, a former French colony, is seen as geopolitically important in the fight against Al-Qaeda-linked groups within and beyond its borders.
Facts
- Capital and largest city: Nouakchott
- Official languages: Arabic
- Area: 1,030,700 square km (29th biggest in the world)
- Population (2012 estimate): 33.5 lacs
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