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Muslim Affairs Team
Answer
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Name
Marc Chambers
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Profession
Question
As Salaam Alikom. I would like to know what do you know for the reasons of the coup other than the sacking of the generals today. What are the feelings of the opposition about today's coup. What role does the ethnic situation have in regards to the coup and the political crisis affecting the country. Last but not least, who benefits from such actions like a coup in the country? Is this an internal matter or are there possible outside players looking after their own interest or would like to see the status quo stay the same?
Answer
It is clear that that the goal of Muhammad Abd al-Aziz - the head of the presidential guard- is to oust the current president and to reaffirm the strong holds of the army on Mauritanian politics. The army has elected and then ousted the president. On April, 19. 2007,there were agreement between the president and the army to keep the balance between them. Then, differences appeared between them. The involvement of the president's wife in internal affairs was widely portrayed by army officers as insulting to the army.
Those who benefit from the coup are Muhammad Abd al-Aziz and the army leader. Significant members of the national assembly supported the army, fearing that the president is intentionally aiming at containing their power and interest. So, they benefit too.
Ultimately, the coup was per se an internal struggle. I do not think that any external power is involved in the coup.
Name
Muslim
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Profession
Question
Can you tell us about Mauritania's Islamists? Who are they? What is their role in this latest coup, if any?
Answer
All political powers welcomed the president Sidi Muhammed Ouild Cheikh Abdallah, including the opposition. The Islamist paty of Twasol , the leftist itihad kwa al-takkadom, democratic forces bloc led by Wild Dada ,the opposition leader, and the popular coalition party led by the head of the national council all received Sidi Muhammed Ouild Cheikh Abdallah with rosy expectations, because they did not see him as tyrannical as his forerunner.
Those who are with the coup are the group of Coalition for Change which is composed of political leaders, not leaders of political parties.
Those members of parliament who withdrawn from the ruling party, seeing military taking over as a step forward.
Name
Masry
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Profession
Question
How,do you think, democracy will be promoted in Mauritania?
Answer
Army officers said that they came to install stability. Yet , each army officer came and stage a coup against his predecessor in an endless cycle of instability.
Continued coups destabilize the economy and put obstacles towards political stability. The army officers justify their coup by saying that the president failed to implement his promised program. However, the main reason was to restore the complete rule of the army. The army will never allow for a democracy that will keep the army only in barracks.
Democracy cannot be achieved by this continues involvement of the army in politics. Institutions must take their way of ruling the country, yet it is up to the army.
Name
Rodrigo Nuñez
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Profession
Political scientist
Question
Mr. Ahmed:
we knew here in Chile that Mauritanian President is kidnapped. Is there any sings of soon release?
Answer
The president is now imprisoned. The head of television is freed. No news agency can tell now where the president is imprisoned. I think that he will be deported outside or he will be given the choice to decline politics. It could be understood from the experience of the last coups. I do not know which option will the president choose?
Name
Mir Afzal
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Profession
Accounts Head
Question
Objectives of this struggle?
Answer
The army wants to strengthen its grip on Mauritania. Army leaders were badly affected by the policies of the president as he constantly tried to outmaneuver them. In addition, the army was outraged seeing corrupt officials of the previous regime still in power and somehow backed by the President Sidi Muhammed Ouild Cheikh Abdallah. As I said before, the objective of the coup is to exploit the bad economic situation and the weak position of President Ouild Cheikh Abdallah to reassure the grip of the army on Mauritanian politics. I think, they ,like their predecessors of army generals, are keen to slip the country into endless turmoil.
Name
s.ismail
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Profession
ex banker
Question
what is the"real"reason to launch the coup?
Answer
The differences between the president and the army on how to run politics in Mauritania is one of the reasons. The army has long been involved in internal politics. The army needs to have its say in politics. 46 member of the parliament opposed the president and they supported the army. In fact, the interwoven interest between the two members of the parliament who withdrawn and the army is clear . 22 of local Shieks announced that they are against the president and with the army, because his wife is too involved in politics. In addition, the failure to relieve the problem of soaring high prices forced them to support the coup.
The president abolished slavery and has returned those who where deported during his predecessor, yet no one announced that he is against anti-slavery policies of the president.
Name
Editor.
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Profession
Question
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