Maur
itanians were to vote Friday in the most hotly contested
presidential election since independence, with the incumbent
Maaouiya Ould Taya, in power for nearly two decades, facing a
record five challengers.
In the last presidential polls six years ago in the west African
desert state of 2,7-million people, Ould Taya won re-election with
more than 90% of the vote as the main opposition candidates stayed
away, crying foul.
But this time a range of rivals have joined a lively, colorful and
impassioned race, which has so far been free of violence, even
though the opposition remains concerned over potential fraud.
The vote comes six months after an attempted military coup was
violently quashed in the former French colony.
Ould Taya, 62, who himself seized power in 1984 as an army colonel,
faces three main challengers, including Ahmed Ould Daddah, the
half-brother of the late Moktar Ould Daddah, Mauritania's first
president whose death last month unleashed a national outpouring of
grief.
Another, the charismatic Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, is the first
descendant of slaves to run for president in Mauritania, some 40%
of whose population are freed slaves known as Harratins, along with
30% white Moors, or Bidans, the country's traditional rulers, and
30 percent black Africans.
The third candidate with a viable chance of defeating Ould Taya -
especially if a second-round run-off is needed - is Mohamed Khouna
Ould Haidallah.
Victory would be sweet revenge for Ould Haidallah, who had been
head of state for four years when he was overthrown in Ould Taya's
1984 coup.
Ould Taya went on to be elected president amid fraud charges in
1992, and re-elected without major opposition in 1997.
Two other minor candidates are in the running, Moulaye el Hacen
Ould Jied, who picked up less than one per cent of the vote in
1997, and the first woman contender, Aicha Mint Jeddane.
If no candidate gains an absolute majority on Friday, a second
round run-off vote will be held two weeks later, which observers
say would likely favor the opposition.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch in September warned of
a "climate of harassment of opposition members" and voiced fears
over the fairness of the upcoming vote.
It noted the arrests of dozens of religious leaders, opposition
politicians and social activists on allegations of involvement in
terrorist activities.
The government, however, flush with favorable assessments of
legislative and municipal polls held in October 2001, insist the
opposition has nothing to fear and have not invited foreign
observers to the presidential vote.
Ould Taya and his supporters contend that he has gradually led the
country towards democracy and economic liberalisation, and
sensitively modernized a society often described as archaic.
His campaign has touted stability, dismissing the June coup bid as
a minor incident with no deep-seated consequences.
But 128 army officers accused of plotting his ouster remain in
detention, and last week launched a hunger strike to protest their
jail conditions, relatives said last Friday.
At least four have been hospitalised, they said.
The revolt was quickly put down with 15 people killed according to
official figures.
Ould Taya's challengers, whom his backers portray as potential
obstacles to progress or even purveyors of chaos, say the time has
come for change, united by a common desire to see him go.
Their campaign speeches are laced with criticism of yawning social
inequality, the domination of a small group of people in control of
power and wealth, assaults on human rights and press freedoms,
cronyism, corruption and misuse of public funds.
They are also united in their criticism of foreign policy, notably
the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel and
Mauritania's exit from the Economic Community of West African
States (Ecowas). – Sapa-AFP.
Edited by: laurian clemence
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