El-Khadir Lamine, an 18-year-old student voting for the first time, said he was hoping for “new opportunities for young people”. For the first time, voters can choose a list for candidates younger than 35, for whom 11 seats will be automatically attributed in the National Assembly. Results from the first round of voting are expected within 48 hours of poll closings. A second round is scheduled for May 27 for half of the 176 National Assembly seats. The country’s population is divided between Arab-Berber Moors, Afro-Mauritanian descendants of slaves, and other groups of sub-Saharan African origin.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 13, 2023 14:58 UTC