Mauritanian leader rejects calls for 3rd term in office

By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on Tuesday dismissed calls for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for a third term in office, Mauritania’s state-run AMI news agency has reported.

Abdel Aziz, whose current term will expire in mid-2019, made the assertion after several ruling party MPs announced plans to launch a petition aimed at drumming up public support for a constitutional amendment which, if adopted, would allow presidents to sit for more than two terms.

According to a statement issued by Abdel Aziz’s office and carried by AMI, the president “maintains his firm position… that the constitution must be respected and that constitutional articles 26, 28 and 99 [pertaining to presidential term limits] should not be amended”.

Abdel Aziz goes on to urge the MPs who proposed the petition against term limits to “work on strengthening [Mauritania’s] democratic system and state institutions”.