A two-part constitutional referendum was held in
Mauritania on 5 August 2017, having initially been planned for 15 July.
[Mauritanians to decide on July 15 whether President could extend reign]
North Africa Post, 25 April 2017 Voters were asked whether they approve of proposed amendments to the
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
. Both proposals were approved by 86% of voters with a voter turnout of 54%.
Proposed amendments
The referendum was split into two questions on different proposed reforms. One covered abolition of the indirectly-elected
Senate and its replacement with regional councils, as well as merging the Islamic High Council and the national Ombudsman into a 'Supreme Council of the Fatwa'.
[ The second question covered national symbols, including a proposal to change the national flag by adding a red band at the top and bottom to symbolize "the efforts and sacrifices that the people of Mauritania will keep consenting, to the price of their blood, to defend their territory",][ as well as modifying the national anthem.
A proposal to allow President ]Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ( ar, محمد ولد عبد العزيز ''Muḥammad Wald 'Abd al-'Azīz''; born 20 December 1956) is a former Mauritanian politician who was the 8th President of Mauritania, in office from 2009 to 2019. A career sold ...
to run for a third term was dropped after protests in Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou (; ar, نواذيبو, Nwādībū, Berber: Nwadibu, formerly in French: ) is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 118,000 inhabitants expanding to over 140,000 in the l ...
.[
Although 141 of the 147 members of the National Assembly voted in favour of the changes,][Mauritania votes to change constitution despite widespread protests]
The New Arab, 9 March 2017 they were rejected by the Senate in March 2017, with 33 of its 56 members voting against, including 24 members of the ruling Union for the Republic.[Mauritania vows referendum to abolish Senate, change flag]
News 24, 23 March 2017
Campaign
Former President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi ( ar, سيدي محمد ولد الشيخ عبد الله; 193822 November 2020) was a Mauritanian politician who was President of Mauritania from 2007 to 2008. He served in the government during the 1970s ...
called for voters to oppose the changes, claiming it would be a "constitutional coup".Former Mauritania president slams ‘constitutional coup’
AA, 27 March 2017 The opposition coalition, the National Forum for Democracy and Unity, also rejected the changes.[Mauritanian opposition slams planned constitution vote]
AA, 24 March 2017 The official campaign began on 21 July.[Mauritanie : le référendum sur la révision constitutionnelle à l’épreuve de l’abstention]
Jeune Afrique, 4 August 2017
Results
Constitutional reforms
National symbols
References
{{Mauritanian elections
2017 in Mauritania
2017 referendums
August 2017 events in Africa
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
Flag referendums