Mauritanian MPs adopt commission to probe ex-president

Lawmakers in Mauritania have adopted a commission to probe the 11 year rule of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

The MPs approved a committee of inquiry on Thursday night to probe activities of the former president, whose reputation is on the line six months after he handed over the reins to his former right-hand man.

This initiative has the support of the ruling Union for the Republic party, which is entirely controlled by current President Mohamed Ould Sheikh El Ghazouani.

The motion for a recommendation shall be considered as adopted if the Bureau of the National Assembly receives no opposition within 24 hours of the briefing.

Zeinabou Taghi is the President of the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Mauritania

“All the participants and all the speakers without exception agreed that we must break with the laxity in public financial management that led to the creation of this commission of inquiry”, she said

Baba Beignoug, 2nd rapporteur of the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Mauritania

“The motion for a recommendation shall be considered as adopted if the Bureau of the National Assembly receives no opposition within 24 hours of the briefing”. he said.

The commission will focus on seven issues of the Aziz era, including the management of oil revenues, the sale of state property in Nouakchott and the liquidation of a public company.

Former President Aziz came to power in a coup in 2008, before being elected and re-elected in 2009 and 2014.

He had designated former Chief of Staff and Defence Minister, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who was easily elected in June.

As at the time of filing this report on Friday, the former president had not commented on the creation of this commission of inquiry.