2003 Mauritanian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Mauritania on 7 November 2003. As expected, incumbent President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya was easily re-elected against weak opposition. The opposition alleged election fraud, and Taya's main challenger, former military ruler Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla (the man who Taya ousted when he seized power in December 1984), was arrested both immediately before and after the vote.[1] The elections saw two notable firsts; Aicha Bint Jeddane was the country's first female presidential candidate, and Messaoud Ould Boulkheir was the first descendant of slaves to run for the office.[2]

2003 Mauritanian presidential election
7 November 2003
Turnout60.86%
 
Nominee Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
Party DSRP Independent
Popular vote 438,915 123,244
Percentage 66.69% 18.73%
President before election

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
DSRP

 Elected President

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
DSRP

The elections took place a few months after a violent unsuccessful coup attempt in June 2003, and Taya was overthrown in a coup two years later, in August 2005.

Results
CandidatePartyVotes%
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TayaDemocratic and Social Republican Party438,91566.69
Mohamed Khouna Ould HaidallaIndependent123,24418.73
Ahmed Ould DaddahIndependent45,3146.89
Messaoud Ould BoulkheirIndependent33,0895.03
Moulaye Elhacen Ould JeidIndependent9,7681.48
Aïcha Mint JedaaneIndependent3,1000.47
Against all4,7180.72
Total658,148100.00
Valid votes658,14897.71
Invalid/blank votes15,4432.29
Total votes673,591100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,106,82760.86
Source: Europa, IFES, IDEA

References
  1. Top Mauritanian politician held BBC News, 9 November 2003
  2. Mauritania's hour postponed Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Al-Ahram Weekly, 13–19 November 2005


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