Mauritanian opposition group refuses to accept election date

Coordination of Democratic Opposition wants President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to resign Mauritania's Coordination of Democratic Opposition (COD) has refused to accept the government's decision to hold parliamentary elections in October. In a statement outlining its political proposals, the COD also called for the formation of an expansive government with an independent prime minister, the implementation of several key measures to restructure the Constitutional Council, and the formation of an independent national committee for elections.
The 12-party Mauritanian coalition said it rejected the statement of the National Committee of Elections to hold polling day in October. It accused the Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of forcing the committee to announce the election, in a bid to paper over his failures.  It described the decision as a "political manoeuvre," aimed at diverting attention away from the country's social, political and economic problems.
The COD argued that President Abdel Aziz and Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf do not have the experience to rule the country.
The Mauritanian opposition group said it would continue its political struggle through peaceful and democratic means, and in the hope of overcoming the internal and external threats Mauritania is facing.
COD urged the government to hold a national conference, and said it would be willing to hold talks with various political parties about the future of Mauritania.
The movement claimed it had reservations about the integrity of the electoral process, and cited fears about inequality between the different political powers, credible political supervision, establishing electoral institutions and ensuring the neutrality of the state.