2018 Mauritanian parliamentary election
Mauritania
← 2013 1 September 2018 (first round)
15 September 2018 (second round)		 2023 →
All 157 seats in the National Assembly
79 seats needed for a majority
Turnout72.46% (Decrease1.44pp)
Party Leader % Seats +/–
UPR M. Mahmoud O. M. Lemine 19.47 93 +18
Tewassoul Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour 11.28 14 −2
UDP Naha Mint Mouknass 4.34 6 0
El Karama Cheikhna Ould Hajbou 3.52 6 0
AND Yacoub Ould Moine 3.15 4 New
UFP Mohamed Ould Maouloud 2.80 3 New
RFD Ahmed Ould Daddah 2.74 3 New
Choura Med. Lemine O. Sidi Maouloud 2.19 3 +3
PUCM Hamadi O. Khatary O. Hamadi 2.00 4 +4
APP Messaoud Ould Boulkheir 1.84 3 −4
Sawab+ Abdel Salem Ould Horma 1.75 3 +3
PSJN Lalla Mint Cheriva 1.60 3 −1
ADIL Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef 1.40 2 New
El Wiam Boïdel Ould Houmeit 1.31 2 −8
HIWAR Valle Mint Mini 1.12 1 New
AJD/MR Ibrahima Moctar Sarr 1.01 1 −3
UDN Aly Ould Abass 0.80 1 +1
El Islah Mohamed Ould Talebna 0.76 1 0
AFCD Outouma Soumaré 0.67 1 New
El Ghad Sid'Ahmed Ould Hamadi 0.60 1 New
CMP Brahim Ould Abdellahi 0.52 1 +1
PPPD Mohamed Ould Tomy 0.48 1 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Seat map per constituency
Prime Minister before Prime Minister-designate
Yahya Ould Hademine
Independent (UPR)		 Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir
UPR
Politics of Mauritania

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Parliamentary elections were held in Mauritania in September 2018; the first round took place on 1 September,[1] with a second round held on 15 September. At the national level, elections were held in 157 constituencies, each electing one member to the National Assembly. Elections were also held in 13 regional councils and 219 municipalities.[2]

As a result of the election, Union for Republic (UPR) remained the single largest party at the national level both in terms of popular vote and seats.[2]

Electoral system

The 157 members of the National Assembly are elected by two methods; 113 are elected from single- or multi-member constituencies using either the two-round system or proportional representation; in single-member constituencies candidates require a majority of the vote to be elected in the first round and a plurality in the second round. In two-seat constituencies, voters vote for a party list (which must contain one man and one woman); if no list receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round is held, with the winning party taking both seats. In constituencies with three or more seats, closed list proportional representation is used, with seats allocated using the largest remainder method.[3] For three-seat constituencies, party lists must include a female candidate in first or second on the list; for larger constituencies a zipper system is used, with alternate male and female candidates.[3]

The other 40 seats are elected from a single nationwide constituency, also using closed list proportional representation, with half elected on separate lists reserved for women.[3] A further four members are elected by the diaspora.

Preliminary results

Party National PR seats Women's seats Constituency seats Total
seats
First round Second round
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Union for the Republic 136,809 19.47 135,831 19.60 93
Tewassoul 79,283 11.28 87,473 12.62 14
Union for Democracy and Progress 30,495 4.34 32,625 4.71 6
El Karam 24,761 3.52 24,131 3.48 6
National Democratic Alliance 22,148 3.15 20,257 2.92 4
Union of the Forces of Progress 19,664 2.80 23,275 3.36 3
Rally of Democratic Forces 19,273 2.74 18,335 2.65 3
Shura Party for Development 15,409 2.19 9,941 1.43 3
Unitary Party for the Construction of Mauritania 14,063 2.00 15,802 2.28 4
People's Progressive Alliance 12,899 1.84 13,045 1.88 3
Sawab 12,265 1.75 9,880 1.43 3
Burst of Youth for the Nation 11,273 1.60 12,299 1.77 3
National Pact for Democracy and Development 9,865 1.40 12,228 1.76 2
El Wiam 9,188 1.31 8,499 1.23 2
Party for Conciliation and Prosperity 7,878 1.12 5,210 0.75 1
AJD/MR 7,102 1.01 5,895 0.85 1
Party of Unity and Development 6,890 0.98 3,877 0.56 0
Ravah Party 6,749 0.96 8,562 1.24 0
Mauritanian Party for the Union and Reform 6,521 0.93 4,178 0.60 0
El Vadila 6,265 0.89 5,658 0.82 0
Party of Mauritanian Authenticity 6,256 0.89 7,874 1.14 0
Mauritanian Party for Justice and Democracy 5,994 0.85 3,772 0.54 0
National Democratic Union 5,655 0.80 9,182 1.32 1
El Moustaghbel 5,570 0.79 8,472 1.22 0
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal 5,533 0.79 8,315 1.20 0
El Islah 5,334 0.76 9,008 1.30 1
Rally for Mauritania 4,855 0.69 3,243 0.47 0
Avant-Garde Party of the Forces of Democratic Reform 4,717 0.67 4,443 0.64 1
Movement for Refoundation 4,709 0.67 4,032 0.58 0
Mauritanian Liberal Democratic Party 4,607 0.66 4,342 0.63 0
National Union for Democracy and Development 4,538 0.65 – – – 0
Rally for Freedom and Democracy 4,338 0.62 4,479 0.65 0
Mauritanian Party for Tomorrow 4,196 0.60 5,156 0.74 1
Mauritanian People's Congress 4,063 0.58 2,889 0.42 0
WAVA Mauritanian Party 4,006 0.57 2,915 0.42 0
Social Democrat Union 3,915 0.56 – – – 0
Party of Conservatives 3,850 0.55 2,003 0.29 0
Party of the Mauritanian Masses 3,771 0.54 4,907 0.71 0
Current Party of Renewing Thought 3,706 0.53 3,198 0.46 0
Coalition of Mauritainians for the Fatherland 3,675 0.52 – – – 1
Dignity and Action Party 3,520 0.50 3,177 0.46 0
Party of Labour and Equality 3,448 0.49 3,058 0.44 0
Democratic Justice Party 3,441 0.49 3,358 0.48 0
Democratic Alliance Party 3,431 0.49 5,237 0.76 0
Party of Peace and Democratic Progress 3,392 0.48 4,515 0.65 1
Mauritanian Party of Renewal 3,384 0.48 4,316 0.62 0
Democratic Renewal 3,370 0.48 3,622 0.52 0
Nida El Watan 3,366 0.48 2,907 0.42 0
Democratic Socialist Party 3,359 0.48 6,015 0.87 0
National Agreement Party 3,270 0.47 – – – 0
Direct Democracy Movement 3,230 0.46 4,270 0.62 0
Popular Front 3,201 0.46 3,218 0.46 0
Mauritanian Party for Justice and Development 3,102 0.44 3,608 0.52 0
Mauritanian Congress Party 3,066 0.44 2,184 0.32 0
National Democratic Convergence 3,056 0.43 2,658 0.38 0
New Generation Party 2,942 0.42 3,126 0.45 0
Rally for Unity 2,803 0.40 3,974 0.57 0
Dialogue and Democracy Party 2,715 0.39 2,555 0.37 0
Democratic Khiyar Party 2,677 0.38 3,778 0.55 0
Third Generation Party 2,671 0.38 2,994 0.43 0
National Ribat Party for Rights and Generation Construction 2,610 0.37 1,816 0.26 0
Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Harmony 2,491 0.35 4,039 0.58 0
Justice and Equality Party 2,385 0.34 2,354 0.34 0
Democratic Consultation Party 2,380 0.34 2,826 0.41 0
Union for the Construction of Mauritania 2,340 0.33 1,250 0.18 0
Socialist Democratic Unionist Party 2,198 0.31 2,046 0.30 0
Mauritanian Party for the Defence of the Environment 2,169 0.31 1,344 0.19 0
National Development Party 2,166 0.31 1,698 0.24 0
Movement of Mauritanian Patriots 2,092 0.30 1,991 0.29 0
Parti Ribat Démocratique et Social 2,036 0.29 2,290 0.33 0
New Vision 2,034 0.29 3,103 0.45 0
Democratic People's Party 2,024 0.29 1,639 0.24 0
Party of Generations of the Democratic Future 2,004 0.29 – – – 0
Union for Justice and Development 1,943 0.28 – – – 0
Democratic Union of Youth 1,926 0.27 1,105 0.16 0
People's Rally Party 1,845 0.26 1,450 0.21 0
Republican Front for Unity and Democracy 1,829 0.26 – – – 0
Mauritanian Hope Party 1,824 0.26 2,709 0.39 0
Rally for Democracy and Unity 1,819 0.26 1,710 0.25 0
Parti du Concret, Arc en ciel 1,808 0.26 1,249 0.18 0
Party for Equity and the Defence of Rights 1,664 0.24 – – – 0
Parti de la Mauritanie Comptemporaine 1,658 0.24 – – – 0
El Inma National Party 1,630 0.23 1,502 0.22 0
People's Democratic Party 1,621 0.23 1,433 0.21 0
Union for Planning and Construction 1,596 0.23 – – – 0
Union for Development and Democracy 1,523 0.22 1,352 0.20 0
Union of the Democratic Center 1,487 0.21 1,031 0.15 0
Party of Construction and Progress 1,407 0.20 2,851 0.41 0
Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Democracy 1,269 0.18 818 0.12 0
Party for Freedom, Equality and Justice 1,265 0.18 1,124 0.16 0
Party of Civilisation and Development 1,249 0.18 2,683 0.39 0
Rally for Equality and Justice 1,235 0.18 1,360 0.20 0
Mauritanian People's Movement 1,132 0.16 1,373 0.20 0
Alliance for Democracy in Mauritania 1,122 0.16 1,493 0.22 0
National Construction 1,061 0.15 1,199 0.17 0
Mauritanian Party for Reform and Equality 1,049 0.15 1,363 0.20 0
Mauritanian Union of Social Forces 1,032 0.15 1,099 0.16 0
Blank votes 21,374 3.14 – 23,521 3.39 – – – –
Invalid votes 324,659 – – 333,298 – – – – – – –
Total 1,027,367 100 20 1,026,371 100 20 157
Registered voters/turnout 1,417,823 72.46 – 1,417,823 72.43 – – – –
Source: CENI, CENI

Aftermath

After the election, 76 parties from both the presidential majority and opposition camps were dissolved for not obtaining more than 1% or not participating twice in two consecutive local elections, based on an election law passed the year before, with only 28 parties remaining in the political arena. Some of the dissolved parties include the first party founded after the establishment of multi-party politics, the Rally of Democracy and Unity, and the Movement of Reformation led by Kane Hamidou Baba.[4]

Election of the President of the National Assembly

The election of the President of the National Assembly took place on 8 October 2018, a week after its original scheduled date. Cheikh Ahmed Baye was elected president in the first round.[5]

Candidate Party Votes obtained
Required majority → 79 out of 157
Cheikh Ahmed Baye Union for the Republic 118 checkY
Assouvi Ould Cheibani Tewassoul 27 ☒N
Abstentions 4
Null votes 2
Absentees 6[a]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Includes the 4 representatives of Mauritanians overseas, who were yet to be elected by the electoral college.

References

  1. ^ Mauritanie: les élections législatives, régionales et municipales prévues le 1er septembre 2018 Archived 2019-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Le 360, 24 June 2018
  2. ^ a b "Mauritania's ruling party wins majority parliament". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Electoral system IPU
  4. ^ "La Mauritanie dissout 76 partis politiques" [Mauritania dissolves 76 political parties]. Radio France Internationale (in French). 7 March 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  5. ^ Faujas, Alain (9 October 2018). "Mauritanie : Cheikh Ould Baya élu président de l'Assemblée nationale" [Mauritania: Cheikh Ould Baya elected President of the National Assembly]. Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 4 November 2022.
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