So far, these elections have included:
• Political tension in the area decreased because of elections monitoring over the three electoral processes.
• The Mauritanian people might face weakness in the planning and might also lack education in the democratic elections. Arab and international organizations have to contribute in the planning and education.
• Europe finances 30% of the elections' costs.
Municipal and parliamentary elections in Mauritania will be held on November 19, 2006. The fourth Presidential elections will be held in March 2007. Previous elections have witnessed forgery, but the regime keeps denying that elections have been forged. Previous statistics give an indication about the control of military commanders. The regime in Mauritania is under the control of the army, and this does not give opposition a chance to strongly participate in electoral competition. This control of the army led to a number of individual candidates, who remained loyal to military authority.
Mauritanian opposition needs more individual representatives, especially in legislative elections, which were controlled by individual representatives in the past, without real improvement of economic conditions, or establishing greater effectiveness of the valid legislations in the country.
Mauritanians' need for education, programs and modern mechanisms in the upcoming elections is obvious; for while preparations for democratic elections are being made, the government lacks the necessary equipment and plans, especially in terms of software and computers for more effective planning. The lack of public education on the electoral process and its democratic bases requires Arab and international organizations to contribute, in spite of the difficult circumstances in Mauritania.
Politicians and political entities' control over electoral mechanisms is another obvious fact, and so is the absence of public opinion and public opposition.
Europe will fund 30% of the Mauritanian elections’ cost
The Euopean Union has announced that it will assist in theorganization of the elections scheduled in the current transitional phase in Mauritania with six million Euros. This grant covers 30% of the costs that the "Military Council for Justice and Democracy" indicated as needed resources. The European Union's ambassador in Mauritania, Jean Eric Paki said: “The amount will be available to the Mauritanian government in the next month”.
The EU ambassador emphasized that Europeans are waiting for the elections in Mauritania, in order to move to a democratic and pluralist system.
The transitional phase will end next March by electing a new President of the country. This transitional phase began with the coup d'etat that was led by the leaders of the military council, against the deposed president (Mu'awyia Wild Sidi Ahmed Al-Taye’).