Launching an initiative for the candidacy of former President Ould Abdel Aziz

Amid rapid political developments, supporters of the former Mauritanian President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, have announced the launch of a bold political initiative aimed at nominating him for the presidential elections scheduled for next June. The announcement was made from the heart of the headquarters of the Democratic Change Front party, which is still under formation, in the capital Nouakchott, and contains a clear call to "reevaluate and correct the course in the face of the acute crises shaking the country."

The initiative, coming in the context of a judicial ruling issued last December against the former president, sentencing him to five years in prison on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment, raises significant challenges regarding the legitimacy and constitutionality of Ould Abdel Aziz's potential candidacy. Particularly since the Mauritanian constitution clearly stipulates the impossibility of serving more than two consecutive terms as president, a criterion Ould Abdel Aziz has already fulfilled.

The organizers justify their initiative by pointing to the "disastrous living situation" experienced by the citizens, and consider that the only opportunity to change these conditions lies in the return of Ould Abdel Aziz to power. This proposition reignites the debate on the country's political management and contrasts the current crises with the achievements of Ould Abdel Aziz's previous terms.

This initiative must overcome significant legal and constitutional barriers, and at the same time, it highlights once again the issue of the former president's arrest and the challenges related to the legitimacy of his candidacy. This could reflect attempts to create confusion and disrupt the political landscape ahead of the anticipated presidential elections, in a context that sees a renewed public interest and debate on the subject of his time in prison and the constitutional prospects of his attempt to return to power.