The Mauritanian opposition on Wednesday cast doubts on the integrity of the country’s parliamentary and municipal elections, set for September 1.
“The current electoral path in the country does not augur well for…holding fair and transparent election and allow Mauritanians to express their will freely,” the National Forum for Democracy and Unity (FNDU), a coalition of 14 opposition groups, said in a statement.
Mauritanian authorities have arrested two candidates in recent days, a move described by the opposition as a “cause of concern”.
These moves “show the flagrant interference by the executive authority in the electoral process and its use of the judiciary to settle political score, pressure candidates and intimidate voters,” the opposition said.
It called on the authorities to free the detained candidates and allow them to exercise their electoral right.
There was no comment from the Mauritanian authorities on the opposition statement.
While some opposition figures have questioned the integrity of the electoral process, the government insists that all steps have been taken to ensure “free and transparent” polls.
