The 67-year-old former senior soldier, Ghazouani, has pledged to quicken investments to ignite a commodities boom in the 5 million-person nation, many of whom remain impoverished despite the abundance of minerals and fossil fuels.
Given the dominance of the ruling party, Ghazouani, who was elected to a first term in 2019, is most likely to win on Saturday.
His six opponents include Hamadi Sidi El Mokhtar of the Islamist Tewassoul party, lawyer Id Mohameden M’Bareck, economist Mohamed Lemine El Mourtaji El Wafi, and anti-slavery campaigner Biram Dah Abeid, who finished second in 2019 with more than 18% of the vote.
Approximately two million people are eligible to vote. Their main concerns are the provision of jobs for young people and the battle against corruption.
A gas-fired power plant from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyin (GTA) offshore gas project, which is expected to begin producing by the end of the year, is what Ghazouani has pledged if reelected. In addition, he promised to increase mining for iron ore, gold, and uranium as well as to invest in green energy.
Since 2019, Ghazouani has presided over a period of comparatively calm conditions while neighboring countries in the Sahel, such as Mali, have struggled with Islamist insurgencies that have resulted in military coups.
Since taking over as African Union chief, Ghazouani has pledged to handle Islamist threats, and Mauritania has not registered a single militant attack on its territory in recent years.
While El Mokhtar enjoys support from traditional and religious voters, prominent activist Abeid is attacking Ghazouani on his record on human rights and the marginalization of Mauritania’s Black African population.
Ghazouani, however, “is likely to win a second term, probably in the first round,” according to Concerto consultant Carine Gazier, who specializes in sub-Saharan Africa.
The election would proceed to a second round if no candidate received more than 50% of the total vote.
Speaking under anonymity, an opposition supporter in the capital Nouakchott speculated that Ghazouani could have trouble winning hands-down “if the votes are conducted transparently.”
A few opposition candidates in the last election cast doubt on the validity of the results, which led to a few small-scale protests.
The polls will close at 7:00 p.m. GMT and open at 7:00 a.m.
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