Mauritanian opposition backs Boulkheir plan

Mauritanian opposition parties on Monday said they supported an initiative led by Mauritanian parliament spokesperson Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, who proposed a new government based on the suggestions by talks between Mauritania's government and opposition groups. Opposition parties said the initiative seeks to find common political ground to face the unstable political atmosphere that worsens the poor economic conditions brought about due to severe drought and the global financial crisis. The West African nation also has to deal with a volatile region, where eastern Mali reports clashes between Tuareg fighters, the Azawad Liberation Movement and Islamist forces that control Timbuktu city . The opposition parties under "the treaty for peaceful rotation" added: “We appreciate the spirit of this initiative which had been issued by one of our parties to announce their support for goals based on the compilation of national forces on a joint programme to stabilise the country. Boulkheir, leader of the Popular Progressive Alliance, met a number of opposition leaders during the past week presenting a proposal to form a broad government that oversees the application of results of the dialogue reached by the pro-government parties and the opposition at the end of last year. Observers have said Boulkheir's initiative might be the only way to resolve the political crisis, as the rift between Mauritanian President Ould Abdel Aziz and the opposition widens over calls to depose the ruling regime. Abdel Aziz, a former general, took part in a 2005 coup and another in 2008, which saw him seize power. He became the president of a transitional authority, from which he resigned to contest and win 2009 elections, a move condemned as a trick by the opposition. Belkhair has been president of the National Assembly of Mauritania since April 2007. Sources told Arabstoday earlier that Belkhair's initiative was based on setting up an interim national unity government with extended powers, to be formed from both the ruling regime and opposition parties. It would be responsible for the preparations and supervision of the forthcoming presidential elections planned in October, and also reach settlements for pending disputes between the regime and the opposition. This government is expected to be headed by Belkhair himself. The sources said that Belkhair's initiative was supported by President Ould Abdel Aziz, who recently held a meeting with the former. The same sources revealed that Belkhair expressed hopes that the government would see wider participation from the opposition and civil society figures.