The Parliament of Mauritania is bicameral

1. The National Assembly

• Name of the Parliament: Al Jamiya-Al-Wataniya
• Number of seats: 79
• Term of legislature: 5
• Required age for voting: 18
• Required age for membership: 25

For election purposes, the country is divided into 53 constituencies, corresponding to the country’s departements. The number of Deputies from each is based on population. All are elected by absolute majority vote in two rounds, with a simple plurality ultimately being required for election.

Party	Seats
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)	70
Independents	7
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDU)	1
Action for Change	1

These elections were the first for the National Assembly trully pluralist as opposition parties had boycotted the last elections in 1992.

The President of the Assembly is Sheikh Sid’ Ahmed Ould Baba.

The three women sitting in the Assembly represent 3.8% of the total members.

2. Senate

• Name of the Parliament: Majlis Al-Chouyokhu
• Number of seats: 56
• Term of legislature: 6 (one third is renewed every two years)
• Required age for voting: 18
• Required age for membership: 35

Of the 56 Senators, 53 represent domestic constituencies and three Mauritanian citizens residing abroad. All are indirectly elected, the former group being chosen by simple majority in single-member constituencies by municipal councillors in each departement. One-third of the Senate membership is renewed every two years. The last renewal took place on the 7th April 2000.

Vacancies which arise between general elections are filled by substitutes chosen at the same time as titular parlementarians.

The President of the Chamber is Dieng Boubou Farba

There is one women sitting in the Senate.

See also :

• MAURITANIA

For more information refer to :