PARLIAMENT CONVENES, ELECTS ITS LEADERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000400 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KDEM PHUM PINR MR SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT CONVENES, ELECTS ITS LEADERSHIP Classified By: CDA Steven Koutsis for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) The new parliament met for the first time April 26, in the final step to the return to constitutional order. The Military Council for Justice and Democracy following the August 3, 2005 coup dissolved parliament and suspended the part of the constitution requiring parliamentary decision, and ruled by decree. Now, with the parliament re-established, Mauritania has returned legislative power back to a duly elected body. With this step taken, the new Prime Minister, Zeine Ould Zeidane, is expected to name a new government in a matter of days. Zeidane, a White Moor, began his functions on April 23, but until now has allowed the ministers from the previous transitional government to stay on until the new government is named. ¶2. (U) During the sessions, the National Assembly (lower house) elected Messaoud Ould Boulkheir president of the Assembly. Boulkheir, a Black Moor, is the president of the Alliance for Progress (APP) party. He was a member of the CFCD coalition, but after the first round of elections, chose to support candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi rather than the CFCD-backed Ahmed Ould Daddah. Many observers believe that Boulkheir's breaking ranks with the CFCD was a determining factor in Abdallahi's victory. However, despite any bad blood, Boulkheir turned out to be the consensus candidate between the majority "Mithaq" coalition, and the CFCD; Boulkheir gained 91 out of 95 votes in the election. Boulkheir is he first Black Moor to hold the assembly presidency. ¶3. (U) Meanwhile, the Senate elected Afro-Mauritanian Ba Mamadou M'Bare as its president with a strong majority. A Pulaar, Ba is a former Minister of Fisheries and a member of the National Gathering of Independents (RNI),which backed Abdallahi in the elections. This seat has traditionally been held by an Afro-Mauritanian. ¶4. (C) Comment: With the appointment of Zeidane, and the elections of Boulkheir and Ba, an ethnic balance has been created in the Mauritanian leadership. While even if only symbolic, this was a clear effort to show national unity. Certainly, Boulkheir will use his position to press forward on issues of slavery and the return of deportees. The composition of the new government will be another indicator as to how far the Mauritanians wish to go to create a better distribution of power among the groups. End comment. Koutsis