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