Mauritania bans licensing of Islam based political parties

Mauritania denied a license for a new political party under the claim that the party is Islamic, and contravenes the law which prevent religion-based political parties, even though, apparently, the party does not officially say its goals are religious.

Mauritania denied a license for a new political party under the claim that the party is Islamic, and contravenes the law which prevent religion-based political parties, even though, apparently, the party does not officially say its goals are religious.

The spokesman for the Democratic Gathering Party ( Hizb al-Multaqa al-Demoqrati) which is viewed by Mauritania as Islamic, Jamil Weld Mansour, said that the ministry of interior refused to license the party, after on Monday it notified the leadership officially "the non possibility to license for the Democratic Gathering Party, according to enforced measures especially the constitution and the law on the political parties."

The Mauritanian news agency said that "the ministry of interior and communications decided not to license the project of a political party called the Democratic Gathering Party, stressing that the minister of interior sent a message to party's representatives in which he notified that the ministry made investigations and necessary research for this purpose showed that the party's inclination is to solely carry out the banner of Islam. A matter which violate the arrangements of the legal manner."

News Agencies