Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi won run-off
elections in March 2007 to become Mauritania's first democratically
elected president since the country gained independence from France
in 1960.
Mr Abdallahi vowed during his campaign that remaining cases of slavery
would be severely punished, and that former slaves and their descendants
would benefit from positive discrimination.
Consists of the National Assembly and
the Senate. There are 12 political regions.
The government is formed
by the PRDS
The government of Mauritania has been
civilian since Taya's election victory in January 1992. Registration
of 15 political parties
took
place in 1991, with six candidates standing for the January election.
Unrest followed and the African Liberation Forces of Mauritania (FLAM)
resumed its struggle.
Until 2005, Mauritania was a one party
dominant state with the Democratic and Social Republican Party, now
the Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal in power.
- Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal
(Parti Républicain Démocratique et Renouvellement)
- Rally for Democracy and Unity (Rassemblement pour la Démocratie
et l'Unité)
- Union for Democracy and Progress (Union pour la Démocratie
et le Progrès)
- Rally of Democratic Forces (Regroupement des Forces Démocratiques)
- Action for Change (Action for Change)
- Union of Progress Forces (Union des Forces du Progrès)
- People's Front (Front Populaire)
- Union of Democratic Forces (Union des Forces Démocratiques)