With over 40% of votes counted, Mauritania's president leads in polls

By Muhammad Al-Bakai

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AA) — Incumbent Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani is leading in preliminary results of the country's presidential election held Saturday, with 42% of votes counted.

El Ghazouani was leading in the race with 53% of the vote, according to figures announced early on Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) after counting more than 42% of the ballots.

In second place was opposition candidate Biram Dah Abeid with 22%, followed by Hamadi Ould Sid' El Moctar, leader of the National Rally for Reform and Development party, with 13%. Parliamentarian El-Aid Ould Mohamedan ranks fourth with 3%.

The committee reported that votes were counted in 1,879 out of 4,503 polling stations nationwide, accounting for 42.51% of the total.

The elections commission is expected to announce preliminary results of the presidential elections later on Sunday.

Mauritanians started to cast their ballots on Saturday to choose a new president among seven candidates.

There are 1.9 million registered voters in the African country with a population of some 4.5 million, according to figures from the commission.

If none of the candidates are able to secure a majority, the top two candidates will go to a run-off on July 13.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi