Mauritania MPs takes steps to preempt constitution vote

By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT (AA) - A group of Mauritanian lawmakers -- from both the ruling party and the opposition -- have taken steps to prevent what they describe as “government attempts to tamper with the national charter”.

The lawmakers recently established a “crisis committee” with the stated aim of stopping a planned referendum -- slated for Aug. 5 -- on a raft of proposed constitutional amendments.

The proposed constitutional changes were already rejected by Mauritania’s parliament when they were put to a March assembly vote -- an outcome that prompted President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to have them put before a popular referendum.

“The crisis committee has opened contacts with several other national parliaments to inform them of [the government’s] attempts to tamper with the Mauritanian constitution," MP and committee member Al-Qutb Ould Mohamed told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

While the president’s ruling party says the constitutional amendments will contribute to democracy and the country’s development, most opposition parties reject the changes, saying they would -- if enacted -- only cement the government’s grip on power.