At stake in this election:

• 53 seats in the Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
• Head of Government: Prime Minister (to be announced)
• Assembly: Mauritania has a bicameral Legislature consisting of the Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh) with 56 seats and the National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani) with 81 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh) 56 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 6-year terms*. In the National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani) 81 members are elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.

* 53 members are elected by municipal leaders. Three members to represent Mauritanian's abroad will be designated by the 53 elected senators.

Main parties in the Second Round of the electoral race:

• Independent(s): Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 11
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Rally of Democratic Forces / (RFD)
  • Leader: Ahmed Ould DADDAH
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: RFD-UFP
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Union of the Forces for Progress / (UFP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Mauritanian Party of Union and Change / (HATEM)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0

Main parties in the First Round of the electoral race:

• Independent(s): Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 23
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Rally of Democratic Forces / (RFD)
  • Leader: Ahmed Ould DADDAH
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 5
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal / (PRDR)
  • Leader: Boullah Ould MOGUEYA
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Coalition: Forces of Change for Democracy****
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Union of the Forces for Progress / (UFP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Mauritanian Party of Union and Change / (HATEM)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: Union for Democracy and Progress / (UDP)
  • Leader: Naha Mint MOUKNASS
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
• Party: People's Progressive Alliance / (APP)
  • Leader: Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0

**** Coalition includes APP, HATEM-PMUC, Centrist Reformists, RFD, RD, UFP

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 3,328,285 (2007)
• Registered Voters: 1,132,877 (2007)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,656,063 (2007)

·         Is Mauritania a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Mauritania ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (10 May 2001)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 17 Assembly (following the 2006 elections); 10 Senate (following the 2007 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 156 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Mauritania a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Mauritania ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (3 April 2012)

·         Population with a disability: 499,242 (est.)