Parliamentary elections were held in

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

on 19 November 2006, with a second round on 3 December. At least 28 political parties competed for seats in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

, the lower house of

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. Islamist parties were banned, but many Islamists ran as independent candidates. 95 seats in the National Assembly were at stake in the election, along with over 200 local councils."Opposition leads Mauritania race"
BBC News, November 23, 2006. About 600 independent candidates ran in the election, many of whom were grouped into the National Rally of Independents (RNI). Many members of the RNI were formerly members of the

Democratic and Social Republican Party The Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (; , PRDR) was a political party in Mauritania. Formerly known as the Democratic and Social Republican Party, (, PRDS) the party changed its identity and adjusted its political stance after the 200 ...

(PRDS), which had ruled the country under President

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Mu'awiya Ould Sid'Ahmed al-Taya (born 28 November 1941) is a Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the President of Mauritania from 1984 to 2005. He also served as the fifth Prime minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 19 ...

.IPU page on 2006 parliamentary election
.

Results

Before the first round's count was complete,

Ahmed Ould Daddah Ahmed Ould Daddah (, born 7 August 1942Marwane ben Yahmed"Les vérités d’Ahmed Ould Daddah", '' Jeuneafrique.com'', February 18, 2007 .) is a Mauritanian economist and a politician. He is a half-brother of Moktar Ould Daddah, the first Pres ...

claimed victory for his party, the

Rally of Democratic Forces The Rally of Democratic Forces (; , RFD), or Assembly of Democratic Forces, is a political party in Mauritania. It is led by Ahmed Ould Daddah. In October 2000, the Union of Democratic Forces-New Era, which was led by Daddah, was dissolved b ...

(RFD), saying that it was "the country's biggest political force", and claiming that the eight-party coalition including the RFD had won a majority. The People's Progressive Alliance (APP), a party for former slaves that is also part of the coalition, and the renamed former ruling party, the

Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal The Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (; , PRDR) was a political party in Mauritania. Formerly known as the Democratic and Social Republican Party, (, PRDS) the party changed its identity and adjusted its political stance after the 200 ...

, were also reported to have performed well. Results from the first round confirmed a strong showing for the RFD, which won 12 out of the 43 declared seats;"Another step in democratic transition"
IRIN, November 23, 2006. independent candidates also did well, taking 24 seats. For 52 seats, however, candidates did not receive majorities and these seats had to be decided in the second round. After the second round was held on 3 December, the coalition of former opposition parties had 39 seats (including 15 for the RFD), with an additional two seats for independents supporting the coalition. Independents won 41 seats, 39 of which were part of the RNI. The former ruling party won seven seats. 17.89% of the deputies elected were female.

Messaoud Ould Boulkheir Messaoud Ould Boulkheir (; born 1943) is a political figure from Mauritania and a leader in the Haratine community. Messaoud also contributed towards the end of the 1989 events in Mauritania, protecting the right of the victims and the emancipa ...

of the APP was elected as President of the National Assembly on April 26, 2007. There were 93 deputies present for the vote, and 91 of them voted for Ould Boulkheir; two other deputies, Babah Ould Ahmed Babou and El Arbi Ould Jideyne, each received one vote."L'Assemblée nationale élit M. Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, son président"
AMI, April 26, 2007 .

References

{{Mauritanian elections

Parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

Parliamentary elections in Mauritania

Election and referendum articles with incomplete results