Ghazouani declared winner of disputed poll

Former General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has won the Mauritania presidential election with 52% of the vote. This after the Constitutional Council, the final authority on Mauritania's founding law, rejected an opposition challenge and confirmed the electoral commission's announcement that Ghazouani had won the 22 June poll with an absolute majority. A report on the News24 site notes that he officially takes over the Presidency from close ally Mohamed Aziz on 2 August. The election represented Mauritania's first democratic transition of power since independence from France in 1960. Opposition candidate Biram Abeid, who officially received just over 18% of the vote, said Ghazouani ‘won 100% or more’ of the vote at some polling stations.