MAURITANIAN DEPUTIES VOTE TO INTRODUCE MOTION OF

UNCLAS NOUAKCHOTT 000332 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KMCA MR SUBJECT: MAURITANIAN DEPUTIES VOTE TO INTRODUCE MOTION OF CENSURE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT REF: NOUAKCHOTT 323 ¶1. (U) On 30 June 2008, 39 deputies in the Mauritanian Parliament signed a bill to introduce a motion of censure against the government of Prime Minister Waghef. 29 signatories to the bill were from the majority National Pact for Democracy and Development (PNDD-ADIL) party. According to article 74 of the Mauritanian Constitution, the bill can only be presented to the full Parliament for a vote only after 48 hours have elapsed. If a simple majority of the 95 deputies vote in favor of the motion, the current government is obligated to resign. The President of the Republic must then appoint a new Prime Minister. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT: Post believes that there is enough support among the Parliamentary deputies to carry the motion of censure and that the Government will be forced to resign if President Abdallahi does not intervene. The vote cannot legally proceed until after the President returns from the African Union Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on 1 July ¶2008. Being out of town, Abdallahi has little opportunity to negotiate a political deal short of the fall of the Waghef Government -- for instance replacing the 5-6 ministers of greatest concern. He has the authority to dissolve the National Assembly prior to the vote, but that would spark new legislative elections that would very likely result in an opposition majority. END COMMENT. Hankins