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Election cmte declares Ghazouani winner of Mauritania presidential election

RABAT, June 23 (KUNA) -- Mohammad Ould Ghazouani has won Mauritania's presidential election with an absolute majority on Sunday.
It was the first time Mauritanians voted to elect a successor to a democratically elected president in the West African state.
Mauritania's ruling party candidate Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former general and defense minister, won the country's presidential election with 52 percent of the vote, the electoral commission announced Sunday, Ghazouani's nearest rival, prominent anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid came in second with 18.58 percent of the vote.
Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, who is backed by the country's biggest Islamist party, came in third with 17.87 percent.
As Ghazouani won an absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, the top two contender's will not face off in a runoff election.
Voters in Mauritania went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president as Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz prepares to step aside after serving two five-year elected terms.
Some 1.5 million people in the West African state were entitled to vote in the presidential election. (end) mry.mb