The deposed president of Mauritania, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi, elected in March 2007 and ousted in August has formally handed in his resignation.
“I voluntary resign from my position as President of the Republic,” said Ould Cheikh Abdellahi in a speech before the Constitutional Council, facilitator Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and representatives of the International Contact Group on the crisis that followed the 6 August coup.
He added that he chose to spare the nation problems that could lead the country to facing sanctions or embargoes looming on it following the coup.
“I am the first president of Mauritania who voluntarily agreed to leave his office in exchange for guarantees for national interest. This is the only way I have today to express my gratitude,” the deposed president also added.
Just before his resignation, the deposed head of state signed, at the convention center, the decree appointing the national unity government, provided for by the Dakar Agreement concluded between the parties to the crisis.
Shortly before that, he received and accepted the resignation of the overthrown government headed by his former Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghev.
The new government shall organize the 18 July presidential elections. It will be headed by Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf. The military junta that took power after the coup maintained Laghdaf as PM.
However, the key Interior, Defense, Finance and Information ministries have been awarded to the opposition comprising the two political poles i.e. the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) of Ahmed Ould Daddah and the anti-putsch coalition National Front for the Defense of Democracy (FNDD).
In his speech, Ould Cheikh Abdellahi said the 15-month period he spent in office was full of activity and has been marked by the taking root of Islamic values and democracy.
According to him, there was no prisoner of opinion, censorship or seizure of newspaper or interference in the judiciary.
He cited, as part of good governance, the law requiring all senior officials of the state to declare their assets, recalling his decision to repatriate Mauritanian refugees from Senegal.
The arrangements that have helped to implement the Dakar Agreement provides that the ruling High State Council be renamed “National Defense Council” and placed under the government authority.
Source African Press Agency
