Regional elections were held in Mauritania on 13 May 2023, alongside parliamentary and local elections.
The elections were the first regional elections held after the first peaceful transition of power in the country as a result of the 2019 presidential elections, in which Mohamed Ould Ghazouani was elected president after incumbent Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was not able to run due to the two-term constitutional limit.
Background Regional councils were first elected in Mauritania in 2018 following a 2017 constitutional referendum that abolished the Senate, replacing it with regional councils in every wilaya and a single one for the city of Nouakchott.
Those first 2018 regional elections led to the ruling party Union for the Republic (which rebranded as El Insaf in July 2022) taking control of all regional councils with an absolute majority thanks to the two-round system then applied to elect regional councils.
On 26 September 2022 an agreement between the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation and all political parties registered in Mauritania was reached in order to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023, with parties justifying it due to climatic and logistical conditions.
Election system On 26 September 2022 all Mauritanian political parties reached an agreement sponsored by the Ministry of Interior and Decentralisation to reform the election system ahead of the upcoming elections after weeks of meetings between all parties.
In this election, regional councils will be elected in a single round using proportional representation through the largest remainder method, with no threshold being applied. The head of the list that gets the most votes will automatically become president of the regional council.
Regional governments The following table lists party control in each regional council. Gains for a party are highlighted in that party's colour.
Region Current control New control Adrar El Insaf El Insaf Assaba El Insaf El Insaf Brakna El Insaf El Insaf Dakhlet Nouadhibou El Insaf El Insaf Gorgol El Insaf El Insaf Guidimagha El Insaf El Insaf Hodh Ech Chargui El Insaf El Insaf Hodh El Gharbi El Insaf El Insaf Inchiri El Insaf El Insaf Nouakchott El Insaf El Insaf Tagant El Insaf El Insaf Tiris Zemmour El Insaf El Insaf Trarza El Insaf El Insaf
Results Party Votes % Seats El Insaf 433,556 43.13% 124 National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 133,265 13.26% 35 National Rally for Reform and Development, Sawab and allies (Tewassoul-Sawab) 2,311 0.23% 2 Total for Tewassoul-led lists 135,576 13.49% 37 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 76,803 7.64% 28 El Islah 47,252 4.70% 15 Sawab and allies (Sawab–RAG) 40,638 4.04% 11 Sawab, allies, Republican Front for Unity and Democracy and allies (Sawab-FRUD) 2,442 0.24% 1 Total for Sawab–RAG-led lists 43,080 4.28% 12 National Democratic Alliance (AND) 28,902 2.88% 11 El Karama 27,230 2.71% 10 Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) 20,827 2.07% 7 Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP) 13,954 1.39% 4 Union of the Forces of Progress and Rally of Democratic Forces (UFP-RFD) 1,885 0.19% 1 Union of the Forces of Progress, Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal and allies (UFP-AJD/MR+) 653 0.06% 0 Union of the Forces of Progress, Rally of Democratic Forces, Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal and allies (UFP-RFD-AJD/MR+) 374 0.04% 0 Total for UFP-led lists 16,866 1.68% 5 Republican Front for Unity and Democracy and allies (Hope Mauritania) 14,205 1.41% 3 Republican Front for Unity and Democracy, allies and People's Progressive Alliance (FRUD-APP) 1,949 0.19% 1 Total for Hope Mauritania-led lists 16,154 1.60% 4 People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 15,913 1.58% 3 El Vadila 15,313 1.52% 4 Nida El Watan 11,957 1.19% 4 Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) 11,906 1.18% 2 Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal and allies (AJD/MR+) 11,227 1.12% 3 Party of the Mauritanian Masses (PMM) 10,612 1.06% 2 National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 8,673 0.86% 3 Party of Conciliation and Prosperity (HIWAR) 8,627 0.86% 4 El Ravah 8,575 0.85% 2 Centre through Action for Progress (CAP) 7,821 0.78% 1 Union for Planning and Building and allies (State of Justice) 6,748 0.67% 1 Burst of Youth for the Nation (PSJN) 5,329 0.53% 1 Party of Unity and Development (PUD) 3,707 0.37% 1 Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (PRDR) 2,922 0.29% 1 Party of Construction and Progress (PCP) 2,180 0.22% 0 Blank votes 27,429 2.73% Valid votes 1,005,185 79.71% Null votes 255,880 20.29% Seats 2 285 Turnout 1,261,065 71.48% Abstentions 503,094 28.52% Registered voters 1,764,159Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Summary by region Adrar Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 16,221 48.81% 8 -1 El Islah 6,955 20.93% 3 New National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 3,642 10.96% 2 = National Democratic Alliance (AND) 1,320 3.97% 1 New Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) 1,077 3.24% 1 New Sawab–RAG 867 2.61% 0 -1 People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 856 2.58% 0 -1 National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 573 1.72% 0 New Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) 531 1.60% 0 = Blank votes 1,194 3.58% Valid votes 33,236 86.63% Null votes 5,130 13.37% Seats 15 = Turnout 38,366 71.94% Abstentions 14,965 28.06% Registered voters 53,331Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Assaba Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 40,617 46.89% 12 -4 National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 18,390 21.23% 5 n/a Nida El Watan 11,957 13.80% 4 New El Islah 4,723 5.45% 1 +1 Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) 2,670 3.08% 1 n/a Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP) 2,576 2.97% 1 +1 Sawab and Republican Front for Unity and Democracy (Sawab-FRUD) 2,442 2.82% 1 New People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 736 0.85% 0 New National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 655 0.76% 0 New Blank votes 1,858 2.15% Valid votes 86,624 71.77% Null votes 34,072 28.23% Seats 25 = Turnout 120,696 73.40% Abstentions 43,746 26.52% Registered voters 164,442Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Brakna Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 55,313 50.22% 13 -1 National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 9,443 8.57% 2 -1 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 7,990 7.25% 2 New El Karama 6,694 6.08% 2 +1 El Vadila 5,682 5.16% 1 -1 Party of Conciliation and Prosperity (HIWAR) 5,423 4.92% 1 New Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP) 4,214 3.83% 1 New Sawab–RAG 3,896 3.54% 1 = People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 3,456 3.14% 1 = National Democratic Alliance (AND) 2,209 2.01% 1 = Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) 2,083 1.89% 0 -1 Blank votes 3,734 3.39% Valid votes 110,137 79.92% Null votes 27,678 20.08% Seats 25 = Turnout 137,815 76.53% Abstentions 42,263 23.47% Registered voters 180,078Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Dakhlet Nouadhibou Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 10,470 26.33% 6 -5 El Karama 7,742 19.47% 4 New National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 3,858 9.70% 2 -6 Sawab–RAG 2,412 6.07% 1 +1 Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal (AJD/MR) 2,313 5.82% 1 +1 Republican Front for Unity and Democracy (FRUD) 1,958 4.92% 1 New Union of the Forces of Progress and Rally of Democratic Forces (UFP-RFD) 1,885 4.74% 1 +1 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 1,608 4.04% 1 +1 National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 1,033 2.60% 1 n/a Party of Conciliation and Prosperity (HIWAR) 973 2.45% 1 New National Democratic Alliance (AND) 955 2.40% 1 n/a El Islah 800 2.01% 1 +1 Burst of Youth for the Nation (PSJN) 734 1.85% 0 New People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 627 1.58% 0 n/a El Ravah 580 1.46% 0 New Party of Unity and Development (PUD) 421 1.06% 0 = El Vadila 201 0.51% 0 New Blank votes 1,197 2.99% Valid votes 39,767 86.91% Null votes 5,988 13.09% Seats 21 +2 Turnout 45,755 68.88% Abstentions 20,668 31.12% Registered voters 66,423Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Gorgol Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 26,012 31.59% 8 -8 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 13,930 16.92% 4 -5 El Karama 8,301 10.08% 3 +3 National Democratic Alliance (AND) 5,216 6.33% 2 New National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 4,402 5.35% 1 +1 Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal (AJD/MR) 3,871 4.70% 1 +1 Burst of Youth for the Nation (PSJN) 3,866 4.69% 1 +1 Sawab 3,578 4.35% 1 New Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP) 3,238 3.93% 1 +1 Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (PRDR) 2,922 3.55% 1 New Party of Conciliation and Prosperity (HIWAR) 1,747 2.12% 1 New El Islah 1,634 1.98% 1 New El Vadila 1,098 1.33% 0 = People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 895 1.09% 0 = Blank votes 1,635 1.99% Valid votes 82,345 79.46% Null votes 21,287 20.54% Seats 25 = Turnout 103,632 76.49% Abstentions 31,859 23.51% Registered voters 135,491Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Guidimagha Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 19,499 31.10% 8 -7 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 18,997 30.30% 8 -3 Sawab 8,337 13.30% 3 +3 National Democratic Alliance (AND) 4,904 7.82% 2 New National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 4,739 7.56% 2 +2 El Vadila 2,194 3.50% 1 +1 People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 1,669 2.66% 1 +1 National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 572 0.91% 0 New Blank votes 1,787 2.85% Valid votes 62,698 83.85% Null votes 12,076 16.15% Seats 25 = Turnout 74,774 81.43% Abstentions 17,052 18.57% Registered voters 91,826Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Hodh Ech Chargui Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 37,661 40.43% 10 -7 Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 14,689 15.78% 4 +4 El Islah 12,974 13.93% 4 New National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 8,651 9.29% 2 -6 Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) 4,883 5.24% 1 New Sawab 1,845 1.98% 1 New National Democratic Alliance (AND) 1,712 1.84% 1 +1 El Vadila 1,587 1.70% 1 +1 El Karama 1,381 1.48% 1 +1 People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 1,258 1.35% 0 New El Ravah 1,117 1.20% 0 = Union for Planning and Building (UPC) 945 1.01% 0 New Burst of Youth for the Nation (PSJN) 729 0.78% 0 New Blank votes 3,708 3.99% Valid votes 93,149 62.17% Null votes 56,686 37.83% Seats 25 = Turnout 149,835 75.64% Abstentions 49,264 24.36% Registered voters 198,099Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Hodh El Gharbi Party Votes % Seats ± El Insaf 36,197 40.52% 10 -3 National Rally for Reform and Development (Tewassoul) 19,417 21.74% 6 n/a Mauritanian Party of Union and Change (HATEM) 8,982 10.05% 3 n/a Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP) 6,832 7.65% 2 +2 El Islah 6,524 7.30% 2 +2 Party of the Mauritanian Masses (PMM) 4,189 4.69% 1 New El Vadila 2,328 2.61% 1 New People's Progressive Alliance (APP) 1,187 1.33% 0 New Sawab 1,105 1.24% 0 = Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) 589 0.66% 0 New National Cohesion for Rights and the Construction of Generations (Ribat) 460 0.51% 0 New Blank votes 1,523 1.70% Valid votes 89,333 75.68% Null votes 28,703 24.32% Seats 25 = Turnout 118,036 77.53% Abstentions 34,219 22.47% Registered voters 152,255Source: National Independent Election Commission (CENI)
Inchiri