Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Wins Mauritanian Election

Mauritania coup chief wins vote amid fraud claims

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania — Nearly a year after seizing power in a military putsch that ousted Mauritania’s first freely elected leader, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz won the presidency Sunday in a landslide vote his opponents decried as a fraudulent “electoral coup.”

The poll was officially held to restore civilian rule, but critics say little is likely to change in this moderate Islamic republic on the western edge of the sand-swept Sahara: Power will remain in the hands of the 52-year-old retired general who spent his life in the military and resigned only to legitimize his grasp on it by running for president.

“We’ve gone backward to an era of dictatorship,” said Boubacar Ould Messaoud, who heads an organization that fights a tradition of slavery that continues here despite being banned.
“Aziz is no democrat,” Messaoud said.

“He is a soldier, and like all soldiers, he should stay in his barracks.

There will be no difference between this regime and the junta” he ruled.
Aziz, however, styles himself as a defender of democracy who staged a coup only to prevent the country from reverting to a past epoch of repressive rule — which he helped end with an earlier putsch, in 2005.

The final result announced late Sunday by Interior Minister Mohamed Ould Rzeizim gave Aziz 52 percent of the vote, enabling him to avoid a runoff.

The count must be validated by the constitutional court before it becomes final.
Parliament speaker Messaoud Ould Boulkheir came in second with 16 percent, while veteran opposition leader Ahmed Ould Daddah was third with 13 percent, Rzeizim said.

The main opposition candidates rejected the final outcome even before it was announced, saying the count had been “prefabricated.” In a statement, they accused Aziz of carrying out “an electoral coup d’etat.”

“We refuse to recognize these results and call on the international community to create a commission to investigate to expose this manipulation,” Boulkheir told reporters.

In a victory speech, Aziz said his staff and supporters had “committed no fraud.” He said the vote could not have been rigged because results from each polling station had to be approved and signed by rival parties before being forwarded to the electoral commission headquarters.

Several hundred international observers are monitoring the vote. But key delegations from the African Union and French speaking countries have released their findings.

Lawyer Bouhoube Yni of the nation’s independent electoral commission — whose 15 members represent the rival political parties — said no serious complaints or proof of fraud had been received so far.

Messaoud spokeswoman Amal Mint Abdallahi said the opposition was preparing to formally submit its complaints. Among them: allegations Aziz’s camp handed out ballots pre-marked in his favor and paid voters to cast them; the voters then returned with empty ballots taken from polling stations to prove they had done so, she said.Abdallahi also alleged Aziz’s camp fabricated false identity cards and illegally inflated voter lists.

After nightfall, Aziz supporters sent red and white fireworks bursting into the air above Nouakchott in celebration. They crisscrossed the sandy streets, honking horns relentlessly, chanting his name. Others hung out the windows of dilapidated Mercedes Benzes and pickup trucks waving posters of the unsmiling former general.

In his speech, Aziz vowed to eradicate terrorism and ensure his army is equipped to do so. He also said the government must also fight poverty in equal measures, “because the cause of terrorism is poverty.”

On the eve of the vote, police exchanged gunfire with two alleged members of an al-Qaida-linked terror cell that had claimed responsibility for gunning down an American teacher here last month. The pair was detained, and one was found wearing an explosive belt.

The U.S. has expressed concern over the steady spread south from Algeria in recent years of al-Qaida’s North Africa branch. While Washington never recognized Aziz’s junta, it is keen to maintain Mauritania as a bulwark against the terror group and prevent the moderate Muslim nation from sliding toward extremism.

Saturday’s election represents a chance for the desert nation straddling the Arab and African worlds to resurrect billions of dollars in pledged international aid, which was cut after Aziz ousted President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi last August. Restarting that aid will be no easy task: Aziz will first have to convince skeptical donors that democracy has really been restored.

Mauritania has suffered five coups since independence from France in 1960, and has been led by military rulers for most of the past three decades.

Born Dec. 20, 1956, Aziz joined the armed forces at the age of 21. Since 1998, he served as head of the presidential guard, a post that allowed him an influential, behind-the-scenes role in the top echelons of power and politics for a decade.

Together with a small clique of the country’s senior military brass, he helped foment a popular putsch in 2005 that ended the two-decade dictatorship of Maaoya Sid’Ahmed Ould Taya and paved the way for unprecedented freedoms.

But when the same military group led by Aziz staged another coup last year, many viewed it as a setback to the nation’s democratic gains.

Aziz says he acted to protect the country’s nascent democracy; Abdallahi, the president, had begun appointing members of the old regime to senior government posts and was trying to censor the press.

Aziz’s junta quickly found itself isolated for breaking the constitutional order, and met unexpected political resistance at home.

Elections offered a way out.

From the beginning, though, Aziz had a huge advantage over his opponents — who only joined
the race a few weeks ago after his junta was replaced by an interim government of national unity that was charged with overseeing the weekend ballot.

Unlike his opponents, Aziz was also able to take advantage of the machinery of state to carry out public works projects like paving roads. He cast himself as “president of the poor,” dropping the prices of electricity, water, sugar and gas by as much as a third.

Associated Press Writer Ahmed Mohamed contributed to this report.

The Rest @ Breaking News from Taragana

Rajoelina Says Ravalomanana Calling for Mercenaries in Madagascar

PARIS (Reuters) - Madagascar's president said in comments published Tuesday the man he ousted as the country's leader was planning a coup in a bid to come back to power.

Andry Rajoelina, 35, came to power in March when President Marc Ravalomanana stepped aside after pressure from the opposition and army chiefs.

Ravalomanana, who fled to southern Africa, insists he remains the legitimate leader of the Indian Ocean island and has rejected sharing power with Rajoelina.

"Today there are people who are thirsty for power," Rajoelina told French RFI radio in an interview recorded on Friday. RFI released written excerpts of the interview, which is due to be broadcast Thursday.

"There are people who are even ready to come and retake power with mercenaries. Everyone is talking about it. And that is what Mr Ravalomanana is doing," Rajoelina said.

Southern African leaders suspended Madagascar from the Southern African Development Community in March, saying they would not recognize Rajoelina, who took power in a move condemned as a coup by the international community.

Former president Ravalomanana was sentenced in absentia this month to four years in jail and a $70 million fine for abuse of office in buying a presidential jet. He has rejected the ruling.
"He (Ravalomanana) is making telephone calls, calling his supporters ... and telling them that he will soon be back, with soldiers, that he will soon retake power," said Rajoelina, who last month refused to allow Ravalomanana to return from exile..

"What is really upsetting in all this is that he is ready to retake power even if it causes civil war in Madagascar," he added.

The African economic bloc COMESA said earlier this month a military intervention to restore constitutional order on the island could be an option but SADC said it would insist on a peaceful solution to the situation.

Internationally mediated talks between the island's feuding leaders aimed at creating a consensus government collapsed a week ago, and the SADC has said it will speed up its efforts to help restore political order.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Matthew Jones)

The Rest @ Reuters

Guinea Bissau Presindetial Candidate Baciro Dabo and other Killed in Coupt Attemp

Angola Radio reports that Guinea Bissau had anothother Coupt attempt on Friday, 5 June, 2009 as campaigning for the 28 June election began.Baciro Dabo, Presidentail Candidate adn MP Hélder Proença were among the killed.

-Shimron Issachar

AU considers crucial holding polls on scheduled date in Guinea Bissau Luanda - The African Union (AU) considers as imperative that the presidential election in Guinea-Bissau should be held on the scheduled date as the first step for stability and resolution of the crisis in that country.

This was said to the National Radio of Angola (RNA) by the AU’s special envoy to Guinea Bissau, the Angolan Joao Bernardo de Miranda.

The AU's special envoy was speaking in the light of the deaths of Guinea-Bissau’s former minister of Territorial Administration and candidate to the presidential election, Baciro Dabo, and the MP Hélder Proença, as well as two other people, for alleged involvement in an attempted coup d'état on Friday.

João Bernardo de Miranda said that Baciro Dabo, who died Friday, had expressed his concern about security like the other candidates. The special envoy seized the opportunity to launch an appeal to the international community to analyse calmly the chance to ensure the security of the populations, candidates and institutions. To him, this election is aimed at the normalisation and stability of the institutions of the state and it is the starting point which is extremely important to add other steps, namely the dialogue among Guineans and the necessary reforms that are needed. According to João Miranda, before getting to these last two steps, it is imperative to have a Head of State, therefore it is necessary the election of the president. The AU official said that he was informed that the National Elections Council of Guinea and the Supreme Court are going to meet to advise the interim president to take a position on the holding of the poll. According to the Guinean press, it is circulating in Bissau City a list with names of political leaders to be assassinated. However, the beginning of the campaign for the June 28 presidential election, in Guinea-Bissau, was postponed, according to the chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Desire Lima da Costa, “because there are no psychological conditions, or others”. The country will hold early elections following the assassination of President "Nino" Vieira last March 02, hours after the death of the staff chief of the Armed Forces, Tagmé In Waié.

The Rest @ Angola Press

Possible Coup Attempt in Togo

The brother of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, Kpatcha Gnassingbé, today was arrested in Lomé on suspicion of planning to stage a coup following a shootout in his house killing two on Sunday.

According to Togolese government sources, Kpatcha Gnassingbé was detained today "as he sought refuge at the US embassy after a military raid on his house that fuelled political speculation.

• "The brother of the President earlier served as Minister of Defence of Togo, but fell out with his brother and was removed from the post.
• Both are sons of Togo's former Dictator Gnassingbé Eyadema, who died in 2005, leading Faure Gnassingbé to take power in a coup, later legitimising his power through a flawed election.
• Brother Kpatcha remains an influential member of Togo's ruling party, the Rally of the Togolese People (RTP).

After leaving his post as Defence Minister, he has maintained private armed forces to look after his security as relations with his presidential brother cooled.

On Sunday, government security forces raided one of Kpatcha's Lomé houses, finding him and members of his private security agents there.

The raid developed into a shootout. At least two persons were killed and three others wounded in the attack.

The raid against the President's brother's house followed a suspicion of coup plotting. Togolese state prosecutors said the meeting at Kpatcha's house had been suspicious and the raid was a bid to arrest soldiers and civilians "suspected of trying to undermine state security."

President Gnassingbé took the alleged coup plotting seriously.

• He immediately cancelled a state visit to China as reports of the shootout reached him on Sunday. Togolese state prosecutors suspect Kpatcha Gnassingbé of planning to take advantage of the President's absence to stage a coup.
• Brother Kpatcha was put under house arrest following the incident, but managed to escape.
• Authorities immediately issued an arrest warrant against him. According to official Togolese sources, he made an unsuccessful attempt to seek refuge in the American Embassy in Lomé.
• Government troops loyal to President Gnassingbé however expected him in front of the Embassy, where he was peacefully detained.

The Rest @ African News Analysis

Droukal calling for a Caliphate in Mouritania?

A Group of Peace Corps volunteers who do a blog called Arms Distance are reporting that local press has calimed the Doukal, the Leader of AQIM has called for a Caliphate State in Mouritania, this after a recent Mouritianian Coup.


-Shimron

Mauritania Coup -What the Blogs Say

The president of Mauritania was today deposed in a coup led by the former chief of his official guard, who appointed himself the head of a junta ruling the west African nation.

Troops seized Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who became Mauritania's first democratically-elected leader last year, after he announced the dismissal of senior members of the impoverished country's armed forces.

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the head of the presidential guard, was among those sacked.

A brief announcement, read out on state television several hours after the president was detained, said Abdel Aziz would head a new "state council" to govern Mauritania.

The message described Abdallahi as the "former president", annulling the decree that brought the sacking of Abdel Aziz and other senior military figures.

Mauritania, a former French colony that recently became Africa's newest oil-producing nation, has suffered several coups since gaining independence at the end of 1960.

Earlier, a spokesman for the deposed president said he was being held at the presidential palace in the capital, Nouakchott.

Soldiers also detained the prime minister, Yahya Ould Ahmed Waqef, the spokesman added.
State radio and television went off the air and soldiers were seen being deployed throughout the capital, although no violence was reported.

The president's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said troops had arrived at the presidential palace shortly before 9.30am local time (1030 BST).

"The president has just been arrested by a commando, who came to fetch him, arrested him here and took him away," she told France's RFI radio. "This is a real coup d'etat."

Mauritania has been in the throes of a political crisis in recent weeks. On Monday, almost 50 MPs quit the ruling party following a vote of no confidence in the government.
Soldiers began gathering at the presidential palace early this morning after the country's state-run news agency published a decree announcing that the top officers had been sacked.
Abdallahi last year replaced a military junta that had ruled since toppling an earlier president, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, in a bloodless coup in 2005.

Taya had ruled after seizing power in a coup of his own in 1984.

Mauritania became Africa's newest oil-producing country after offshore fields began operating in 2006.

The largely desert nation borders Algeria to the north and Mali and Senegal to the south and east.

Despite hopes of prosperity from country's still mainly unexploited reserves of oil and gas, it remains desperately poor and imports more than 70% of its food.

It also faces pressure from international human rights groups to eliminate slavery, which was outlawed in 1981. Amnesty International says there is evidence that the practice still exists in the country

The Rest @ The Guadian

The Moor Next Door Says:

My Mauritanian sources tell me that when the troops entered the Presidential Palace, they forced Sidi to take off his dara (the long flowy robe Mauritanian leaders often wear) and shirt (in order to establish some kind of hierarchy).

• His daughter, also an aide to the President, phoned AFP to put out news of the coup. She was forced to hang up (though evidently not before putting out the news;
• The President’s wife smacked one of the soldiers whilst shouting. He popped her back (three times).
• I am also told, by the same source, that after Sidi [tried to] sack Chief of Staff Ghazouani, the new CoS (Col. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Ismail) showed up at Army HQ and informed the guard that he was the Chief of Staff.
• The guard responded with “tiyer” or “**** off.”

Western Sahara Info says

a tragedy for Mauritanian democracy, on the one hand, but that didn't stand much of a chance anyway; but more importantly, a giant setback for the country's broader chances of political development.

• While President Abdellahi and his cronies aren't exactly angels, Colonels Ghazouani and Abdelaziz represent the very worst military-parasitic element of the Mauritanian regime, and their refusal to let the civilian side of the regime settle down in power threatens to undo it completely in the long run.
• If the last coup, in August 2005, could be met with cautious understanding by the international community, having unseated President ould Tayaa, and eventually with praise as it led to a real transformation, this time around it is different.
• What happened in 2005 was that a military-personal-tribal dictatorship was overthrown and the chance arrived to replace it with a civilian semi-authoritarian structure that respected most democratic norms most of the time, and which made sensible moves towards national reconciliation, refugee return and economic development; not heaven, but infinitely better.
• This change is now being reversed. The putschists -- even though they are some of the same people as acted in 2005 -- must be condemned and the result of the coup overturned if possible;
• Mauritania had a golden opportunity to break its vicious circle, and it is now slipping away.