Parliamentary elections were held in Mauritania in September 2018; the first round took place on 1 September,Mauritanie: les élections législatives, régionales et municipales prévues le 1er septembre 2018 Le 360, 24 June 2018 with a second round held on 15 September. At the national level, elections were held in 157 constituencies, each electing one member to the National Assembly. Elections were also held in 13 regional councils and 219 municipalities.

As a result of the election, Union for Republic (UPR) remained the single largest party at the national level both in terms of popular vote and seats.

Electoral system The 157 members of the National Assembly are elected by two methods; 113 are elected from single- or multi-member constituencies using either the two-round system or proportional representation; in single-member constituencies candidates require a majority of the vote to be elected in the first round and a plurality in the second round. In two-seat constituencies, voters vote for a party list (which must contain one man and one woman); if no list receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round is held, with the winning party taking both seats. In constituencies with three or more seats, closed list proportional representation is used, with seats allocated using the largest remainder method.Electoral system IPU For three-seat constituencies, party lists must include a female candidate in first or second on the list; for larger constituencies a zipper system is used, with alternate male and female candidates.

The other 40 seats are elected from a single nationwide constituency, also using closed list proportional representation, with half elected on separate lists reserved for women. A further four members are elected by the diaspora.

Preliminary results PartyNational PR seatsWomen's seatsConstituency seatsTotalseatsFirst roundSecond roundVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsUnion for the Republic136,80919.47 135,83119.60 93Tewassoul79,28311.28 87,47312.62 14Union for Democracy and Progress30,4954.34 32,6254.71 6El Karam24,7613.52 24,1313.48 6National Democratic Alliance22,1483.15 20,2572.92 4Union of the Forces of Progress19,6642.80 23,2753.36 3Rally of Democratic Forces19,2732.74 18,3352.65 3Shura Party for Development15,4092.19 9,9411.43 3Unitary Party for the Construction of Mauritania14,0632.00 15,8022.28 4People's Progressive Alliance12,8991.84 13,0451.88 3Sawab12,2651.75 9,8801.43 3Burst of Youth for the Nation11,2731.60 12,2991.77 3National Pact for Democracy and Development9,8651.40 12,2281.76 2El Wiam9,1881.31 8,4991.23 2Party for Conciliation and Prosperity7,8781.12 5,2100.75 1AJD/MR7,1021.01 5,8950.85 1Party of Unity and Development6,8900.98 3,8770.56 0Ravah Party6,7490.96 8,5621.24 0Mauritanian Party for the Union and Reform6,5210.93 4,1780.60 0El Vadila6,2650.89 5,6580.82 0Party of Mauritanian Authenticity6,2560.89 7,8741.14 0Mauritanian Party for Justice and Democracy5,9940.85 3,7720.54 0National Democratic Union5,6550.80 9,1821.32 1El Moustaghbel5,5700.79 8,4721.22 0Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal5,5330.79 8,3151.20 0El Islah5,3340.76 9,0081.30 1Rally for Mauritania4,8550.69 3,2430.47 0Avant-Garde Party of the Forces of Democratic Reform4,7170.67 4,4430.64 1Movement for Refoundation4,7090.67 4,0320.58 0Mauritanian Liberal Democratic Party4,6070.66 4,3420.63 0National Union for Democracy and Development4,5380.65 ––– 0Rally for Freedom and Democracy4,3380.62 4,4790.65 0Mauritanian Party for Tomorrow4,1960.60 5,1560.74 1Mauritanian People's Congress4,0630.58 2,8890.42 0WAVA Mauritanian Party4,0060.57 2,9150.42 0Social Democrat Union3,9150.56 ––– 0Party of Conservatives3,8500.55 2,0030.29 0Party of the Mauritanian Masses3,7710.54 4,9070.71 0Current Party of Renewing Thought3,7060.53 3,1980.46 0Coalition of Mauritainians for the Fatherland3,6750.52 ––– 1Dignity and Action Party3,5200.50 3,1770.46 0Party of Labour and Equality3,4480.49 3,0580.44 0Democratic Justice Party3,4410.49 3,3580.48 0Democratic Alliance Party3,4310.49 5,2370.76 0Party of Peace and Democratic Progress3,3920.48 4,5150.65 1Mauritanian Party of Renewal3,3840.48 4,3160.62 0Democratic Renewal3,3700.48 3,6220.52 0Nida El Watan3,3660.48 2,9070.42 0Democratic Socialist Party3,3590.48 6,015 0.87 0National Agreement Party3,2700.47 ––– 0Direct Democracy Movement3,2300.46 4,2700.62 0Popular Front3,2010.46 3,2180.46 0Mauritanian Party for Justice and Development3,1020.44 3,6080.52 0Mauritanian Congress Party3,0660.44 2,1840.32 0National Democratic Convergence3,0560.43 2,6580.38 0New Generation Party2,9420.42 3,1260.45 0Rally for Unity2,8030.40 3,9740.57 0Dialogue and Democracy Party2,7150.39 2,5550.37 0Democratic Khiyar Party2,6770.38 3,7780.55 0Third Generation Party2,6710.38 2,9940.43 0National Ribat Party for Rights and Generation Construction2,6100.37 1,8160.26 0Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Harmony2,4910.35 4,0390.58 0Justice and Equality Party2,3850.34 2,3540.34 0Democratic Consultation Party2,3800.34 2,8260.41 0Union for the Construction of Mauritania2,3400.33 1,2500.18 0Socialist Democratic Unionist Party2,1980.31 2,0460.30 0Mauritanian Party for the Defence of the Environment2,1690.31 1,3440.19 0National Development Party2,1660.31 1,6980.24 0Movement of Mauritanian Patriots2,0920.30 1,9910.29 0Parti Ribat Démocratique et Social2,0360.29 2,2900.33 0New Vision2,0340.29 3,1030.45 0Democratic People's Party2,0240.29 1,6390.24 0Party of Generations of the Democratic Future2,0040.29 ––– 0Union for Justice and Development1,9430.28 ––– 0Democratic Union of Youth1,9260.27 1,1050.16 0People's Rally Party1,8450.26 1,4500.21 0Republican Front for Unity and Democracy1,8290.26 ––– 0Mauritanian Hope Party1,8240.26 2,7090.39 0Rally for Democracy and Unity1,8190.26 1,7100.25 0Parti du Concret, Arc en ciel1,8080.26 1,2490.18 0Party for Equity and the Defence of Rights1,6640.24 ––– 0Parti de la Mauritanie Comptemporaine1,6580.24 ––– 0El Inma National Party1,6300.23 1,5020.22 0People's Democratic Party1,6210.23 1,4330.21 0Union for Planning and Construction1,5960.23 ––– 0Union for Development and Democracy1,5230.22 1,3520.20 0Union of the Democratic Center1,4870.21 1,0310.15 0Party of Construction and Progress1,4070.20 2,8510.41 0Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Democracy1,2690.18 8180.12 0Party for Freedom, Equality and Justice1,2650.18 1,1240.16 0Party of Civilisation and Development1,2490.18 2,6830.39 0Rally for Equality and Justice1,2350.18 1,3600.20 0Mauritanian People's Movement1,1320.16 1,3730.20 0Alliance for Democracy in Mauritania1,1220.16 1,4930.22 0National Construction1,0610.15 1,1990.17 0Mauritanian Party for Reform and Equality1,0490.15 1,3630.20 0Mauritanian Union of Social Forces1,0320.15 1,0990.16 0Blank votes21,3743.14–23,5213.39– – ––Invalid votes324,659––333,298–– –– –––Total1,027,367100201,026,37110020 157Registered voters/turnout1,417,82372.46–1,417,823 72.43– – ––Source: CENI, CENI

Aftermath After the election, 76 parties from both the presidential majority and opposition camps were dissolved for not obtaining more than 1% or not participating twice in two consecutive local elections, based on an election law passed the year before, with only 28 parties remaining in the political arena. Some of the dissolved parties include the first party founded after the establishment of multi-party politics, the Rally of Democracy and Unity, and the Movement of Reformation led by Kane Hamidou Baba.

Election of the President of the National Assembly The election of the President of the National Assembly took place on 8 October 2018, a week after its original scheduled date. Cheikh Ahmed Baye was elected president in the first round. +Candidate Party Votes obtainedRequired majority → 79 out of 157 Cheikh Ahmed Baye 118 Assouvi Ould Cheibani 27 Abstentions4Null votes2Absentees6

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