With 90% of votes counted, Mauritania's president leads in polls

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania

Incumbent Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani is leading preliminary results of the country's presidential election held Saturday, with over 90% of votes counted.

El Ghazouani is leading the race with 55.82% of the vote, according to figures announced on Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) after counting nearly 90% of the ballots.

In second place was opposition candidate Biram Dah Abeid with 22.35%, followed by Hamadi Ould Sid' El Moctar, leader of the National Rally for Reform and Development Party, with 13%. Parliamentarian El-Aid Ould Mohamedan ranked fourth with 3.46%.

Politician Mamadou Boukari secured fifth place with 2.24%, while opposition candidate and physician Outouma Soumare ranked sixth with 2.14%. Finance Inspector Mohamed Lamine Mourteji El Wafi finished last with 0.98%.

Opposition candidate Dah Abeid refused to recognize the vote results, calling it an “electoral coup.”

He said his campaign is investigating the results announced by the commission, saying he will not accept any “fraud.”

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

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

There are 1.9 million registered voters in the North 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