Mauritanian police forcibly disperse Nouakchott protest

By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT (AA) – Mauritanian police on Thursday broke up a protest in capital Nouakchott in which demonstrators called for reform of the country’s election commission in advance of presidential polls slated for later this year.

Protesters chanted slogans against the commission, demanding the formulation of an “impartial” committee to oversee the elections.

On Wednesday, Mauritania’s main opposition coalition openly accused the commission of “bias”, casting doubt on its ability to conduct impartial polls.

Speaking to reporters in Nouakchott, coalition head Mohamed Ould Mouloud said the opposition was vastly underrepresented on the commission in its current form.

In a letter sent to the Interior Ministry last month, several Mauritanian opposition figures urged the government to foster “an appropriate atmosphere” for the upcoming polls.