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Mauritania is a highly centralized Islamic republic with a president as head of state. The legislative function is exercised by the Senate and National Assembly, the former consisting of representatives chosen indirectly by municipal councilors and the latter directly elected by the voters. The legislative bodies were weak relative to the executive. The election of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as president
in 2009 ended a political crisis caused by Aziz’s 2008 coup d’etat against then president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. International observers declared the 2009 presidential election to be generally free and fair. In 2009 the majority party, Union for the Republic (UPR), won most of the seats in the indirect election to refill one-third of the Senate seats. The government indefinitely postponed new
Senate, National Assembly, and municipal elections scheduled to take place during the year in accordance with the opposition’s initial request, although controversy over the constitutionality of the election timetable continued throughout the year. Security forces reported to civilian authorities.