afrol News, 10 June - Mauritania's main opposition leader, Ahmed Ould Daddah has been nominated as a candidate for the country's presidential elections slated for 18 July this year, local media has reported.

The Democratic Forces Union (RFD) special congress on Monday decided to declare Mr Ould Daddah as candidate for the presidential elections scheduled for next month.

Mr Ould Daddah who will be running for the presidential seat pledged to continue the fight for a united, prosperous and democratic Mauritania and called on all those who have left the party to come back.

In Mauritania's first democratic elections, held in 2007, the opposition leader lost in the second round against Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who was ousted in a coup in August last year.

Last week, the elections were postponed after negotiations brokered by Senegal and international mediators to solve the political crisis as the opposition parties threatened to boycott the polls organised by the military junta.

The presidential elections were postponed to 18 July, with the democratic parties participating, and a unity government to be formed.

The Dakar compromise also paves way for the establishment of a new Independent National Electoral Commission, the adoption of a political amnesty law and an end to the persecution of opposition forces in Mauritania. It also foresees the return of press freedom and equal access by political players to the media during the electoral campaigns.

Mauritania was thrown into crisis on 6 August 2008, when the military toppled democratically-elected President Ould Cheikh Abdullahi.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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