Mauritiana: Referendum, 5 August 2017

Election Results Note: 

• Votes cast is an estimate based on a 53.73% turnout

At stake in this referendum:

• The referendum addresses two potential amendments to the constitution.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014)
• Assembly: Bicameral Parliament (Barlamane) consisting of the National Assembly (Al Jamiya Al Wataniya) with 147 seats and the Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh) with 56 seats.

Electoral requirements:

• A majority vote is needed to pass the referendum.

About the referendum:

• The referendum has two parts. One provision concerns the abolition of the indirectly elected Senate to replace it with regional councils. The other provision concerns national symbols and a change to the flag of Mauritania that would add red bands to its top and bottom.

Main provisions in the referendum:

• "Do you approve the constitutional revision of the amendments to certain provisions of the Constitution of 20 July 1991? It relates to certain institutions of the Republic:
  • abolition of the Senate and transfer of its powers to the National Assembly;
  • creation of elected regional councils for the promotion of local development;
  • Institution in place of the High Islamic Council, the Ombudsman of the Republic and the High Council of Fatwa and the gracious remedies, a High Council of Fatwa and gracious remedies
• Approuvez-vous par oui, neutre, non la révision constitutionnelle des modifications à certaines dispositions de la Constitution du 20 juillet 1991. Elle est relative à certaines institutions de la République:
  • suppression du Sénat et transfert de ses attributions à l'Assemblée nationale;
  • création de conseils régionaux élus pour la promotion du développement local;
  • institution en lieux et place du Haut Conseil islamique, du médiateur de la République et du Haut Conseil de la Fatwa et des recours gracieux, d'un Haut Conseil de la Fatwa et des recours gracieux
• Do you approve of the constitutional revision of the amendments to Article 8 of the Constitution of 20 July 1991. It relates in particular to the national flag: The national emblem is a flag bearing a crescent and a colored star gold on a green ground, bearing on each side a horizontal, rectangular band of red color?
  • « Approuvez-vous par oui, neutre, non la révision constitutionnelle des modifications à l'article 8 de la Constitution du 20 juillet 1991. Elle est relative notamment au drapeau national: L'emblème national est un drapeau portant un croissant et une étoile de couleur or sur fond vert, portant, sur chaque côté une bande horizontale, rectangulaire de couleur rouge. »

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 3,758,571
• Registered Voters: 1,389,092

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 1,947,446
• Is Mauritania a signatory to CEDAW: No
• Has Mauritania ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (10 May 2001)
• Gender Quota: Yes
• Female candidates in this election: N/A
• Number of Female Parliamentarians: 37
• Human Development Index Position: 157
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High

Disability Data:

• Is Mauritania a signatory to CRPD: No
• Has Mauritania ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (3 April 2012)
• Population with a disability: 539,505