NOUAKCHOTT (TIP): Mauritanians go to the polls to decide whether to re-elect President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani as head of the vast desert state, seen as a rock of relative stability in the volatile Sahel.
Around 1.9 million registered voters are set to choose between seven candidates vying to lead the West African nation, which has largely withstood the tide of jihadism in the region and is set to become a gas producer. The 2019 election brought Ghazouani to power and marked the first transition between two elected presidents since independence from France in 1960 and a series of coups from 1978 to 2008.
Polling stations will open at 7 am (0700 GMT) and close at 7 pm (1900 GMT), with the first results expected on Saturday evening.
Official results are set to be announced on Sunday or Monday.
Former general Ghazouani is the overwhelming favourite to win a second term, with observers considering a first-round victory possible — given opposition divisions and the resources of the president’s camp. A possible second round vote would take place on July 14.
Campaigning was relatively peaceful, except for some scuffles on Monday in the northern town of Nouadhibou, when “one candidate’s supporters” attacked backers of another candidate, the interior ministry said. (AFP)