Mauritanian presidential election, 1966

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Presidential elections were held in Mauritania on 7 August 1966. Following the merger of all the country's political parties into the Mauritanian People's Party (PPM), the country had become a one-party state in December 1961. Its leader, incumbent President Moktar Ould Daddah, was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed. [1] Voter turnout was 96.2%. [2]

Mauritania Islamic republic in Northwest Africa

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa. It is the eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.

Mauritanian People's Party was the sole legal party of Mauritania from 1961 to 1978. It was headed by President Moktar Ould Daddah.

A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system, or single-party system is a type of state in which one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties are either outlawed or allowed to take only a limited and controlled participation in elections. Sometimes the term de facto one-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike the one-party state, allows democratic multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning the elections.

Contents

It was the second presidential elections held in the country after independence. The country doubled its GDP between 1959 and 1966, but traditional sectoral growth was negligible.[ clarification needed ] During 1966, there was widespread agitation against the government by Mauritanian Black Africans against imposing Arab education and civil life.

Background

Mauritania came under the direct control of the French Colonial Empire during 1933. [3] After independence on 28 November 1960, the country declared itself the Islamic Republic of Mauritania with Ould Daddah becoming its first President . [3] He declared the country a one-party state in 1964, and during 1965 all parties merged with the ruling Mauritanian Assembly Party to form the Mauritanian People's Party. [3]

During the period of 1961-65, Ould Daddah faced pressure on some of the provinces annexed by the neighboring Morocco under Sultan Mohamed V and sought support from the Arab neighbors. He also maintained relations with French government and sought the help to station its troops in Mauritania which would go on until 1966. [4] The government was also facing different issues on development and tribal orientation. During this period, the country lacked its own currency.

Morocco Country in North Africa

Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in the Maghreb region of North West Africa with an area of 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi). Its capital is Rabat, the largest city Casablanca. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Morocco claims the areas of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, all of them under Spanish jurisdiction.

In 1966 there were widespread agitation against the government by Black Africans against imposing Arab education and civil life. However, Ould was effective in controlling the opposition. Historians consider his rule moving to an extent of dictatorship as both the opposition inside the PPM and across Mauritania were effectively suppressed. [5] From 1959 to 1966, the GDP of the country doubled, but only in mining sector, leaving the traditional sectors such as agriculture and fishing without any growth. [6]

Elections

Moktar Ould Daddah, the incumbent President and winner of the 1966 Presidential elections Moktar Ould Daddah.jpg
Moktar Ould Daddah, the incumbent President and winner of the 1966 Presidential elections
CandidatePartyVotes%
Moktar Ould Daddah Mauritanian People's Party 471,577100
Invalid/blank votes1,080–
Total472,657100
Registered voters/turnout491,32096.8
Source: Nohlen et al.

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1959 Mauritanian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Mauritania on 17 May 1959. The result was a victory for the Mauritanian Regroupment Party, which was the only party to contest the elections, thereby winning all 40 seats in the National Assembly. Voter turnout was 90.3%.

1961 Mauritanian presidential election

Presidential elections were held for the first time in Mauritania in August 1961 to elect the President for the next five years. Moktar Ould Daddah, who had been acting head of state since independence from France in 1960 was the only candidate, and was elected unopposed. Although he was a member of the ruling Mauritanian Regroupment Party, his candidacy was also supported by the Mauritanian National Union. Voter turnout was 93.6%.

1971 Mauritanian general election

General elections were held in Mauritania on 8 August 1971 to elect a President and National Assembly, the first time the two elections had been held together. At the time, the country was a one-party state with the Mauritanian People's Party (PPM) as the sole legal party. Its leader, incumbent President Moktar Ould Daddah, was the only candidate in the presidential election, and was re-elected unopposed to a third term in office, whilst the PPM won all 50 seats in the National Assembly election. Voter turnout for the parliamentary election was reported to be 95.6%.

1976 Mauritanian general election

General elections were held in Mauritania on 8 August 1976 to elect a President and National Assembly. At the time, the country was a one-party state with the Mauritanian People's Party (PPM) as the sole legal party. Its leader, incumbent President Moktar Ould Daddah, was the only candidate in the presidential election, and was re-elected unopposed, whilst the PPM won all the seats in the National Assembly election. Voter turnout was 97.9%. They were the last elections held until the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1992.

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The National Vanguard Party, is a political party in Mauritania. It is the Mauritanian regional branch of the Iraqi-led Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.

Mauritanian National Renaissance Party was an Arab nationalist political party in Mauritania from 1958 to 1961. It was led by Ahmed Baba Miské.

The Socialist Union of Mauritanian Muslims was a political party in Mauritania. The party was founded in February 1960. Achmed Ould Kerkoub was the leader of the party.

Aïssata Touré Kane is a former Mauritanian politician who was the country's first female government minister. After holding leadership positions in the youth wing and women's section of the Mauritanian People's Party, she served in the cabinet of President Moktar Ould Daddah from 1975 to 1978. Her time as a minister ended when Daddah's government was overthrown by a military coup.

References

  1. ↑ "Elections in Mauritania". African Elections Database. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Nohlen, D; Krennerich, M; Thibaut, B (1999). Elections in Africa: A data handbook. p. 594. ISBN   0-19-829645-2.
  3. 1 2 3 Europa Publications (2003). A Political Chronology of Africa. Routledge. p. 285. ISBN   9781135356668.
  4. ↑ Shillington, Kevin, ed. (2013). Encyclopedia of African History 3-Volume Set. Routledge. p. 959. ISBN   9781135456702.
  5. ↑ Pazzanita, Anthony G. (1999). Political Transition in Mauritania: Problems and Prospects. Middle East Journal. 53. Middle East Institute. pp. 44–46. JSTOR   4329283. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ Bennoune, Mahfoud (1978). Mauritania: A neo-colonial desert. Dialectical Anthropology. 3. Springer. p. 59. JSTOR   29789919. (Subscription required (help)).
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