National Rally for Reform and Development

{{short description|Islamist political party in Mauritania}}

{{use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Distinguish|National Movement for Development and Reform|National Movement for Reform and Development}}

{{Infobox political party

|name = National Rally for Reform and Development

|native_name = التجمع الوطني للإصلاح و التنمية
Rassemblement National pour la Réforme et le Développement

|native_name_lang = ar

|abbreviation = Tewassoul
RNRD

|logo = National Rally for Reform and Development logo.png

|colorcode = {{party colour|National Rally for Reform and Development}}

|president = Hamadi Ould Sid'El Moctar

|foundation = 2007

|registered = {{Start date|2007|08|04|df=yes}}

|predecessor = Centrist Reformists

|membership = {{increase}} 130,000 (2022)

|ideology = Sunni Islamism
Islamic democracy
Religious conservatism

|headquarters = Nouakchott, Mauritania

|international = Muslim Brotherhood

|affiliation1_title = Parliamentary group

|affiliation1 = Tewassoul group

|seats1_title = National Assembly

|seats1 = {{Composition bar|11|176|{{party colour|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

|seats2_title = Regional councils

|seats2 = {{Composition bar|36|285|{{party colour|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

|seats3_title = Mayors

|seats3 = {{Composition bar|7|238|{{party colour|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

|website = [https://www.tewassoul.mr/ www.tewassoul.mr]

|country = Mauritania

}}

The National Rally for Reform and Development ({{langx|ar|التجمع الوطني للإصلاح و التنمية|at-tajammuʿ al-waṭani lil iṣlāḥ wat-tanmiya}}, {{langx|fr|Rassemblement National pour la Réforme et le Développement}}), often known by its shortened Arabic name Tewassoul ({{langx|ar|تواصل|Tawāṣṣul}}) or by the abbreviation of its French name (RNRD), is an Islamist political party in Mauritania. The party is associated with the Mauritanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.{{cite journal |last=Thurston |first=Alex |date=2012-03-01 |title=Mauritania's Islamists |url=https://carnegie-mec.org/publications/?fa=47312 |journal=Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center |access-date=2022-12-29}}

As a result of the 2013, 2018 and 2023 parliamentary election Tewassoul has become the second largest political party in Mauritania.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/mauritanias-ruling-party-wins-majority-parliament/2018/09/17/d6b51424-ba96-11e8-adb8-01125416c102_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917190520/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/mauritanias-ruling-party-wins-majority-parliament/2018/09/17/d6b51424-ba96-11e8-adb8-01125416c102_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-09-17 |title=Mauritania's ruling party wins majority parliament |newspaper=Washington Post |lang=en |date=2018-09-17}}

History

The roots of Tewassoul go back to the Islamic Movement that began to be organized in Mauritania in 1975, being based on the ideas of the Muslim Brotherhood, but it remained an unauthorized secret political movement due to the different authoritarian regimes in Mauritania's history.{{cite news |url=https://www.saharamedias.net/200331-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%80-30-%D8%A3/ |title="تواصل" يعقد مؤتمره الرابع.. ويحتفي بـ 30 ألف منتسب جديد |trans-title=Tewassoul holds its fourth conference... and celebrates 30,000 new members |newspaper=SaharaMedias |lang=ar |date=2022-12-24 |access-date=2022-12-25}}

The Islamists were prevented from licensing any political party even after the introduction of multi-party politics in the 1990s. Nevertheless, the Islamic Movement remained present as a significant force in the local political arena, especially with its rejection of the diplomatic ties established between Mauritania and Israel between 1999 and 2009.

After the 2005 coup, and the overthrow of the regime of President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, the Islamists tried to register a political party, but the military council leading the transitional phase rejected their request, which prompted them to launch the “Initiative of Moderate Reformists” on November 23, 2005, which enabled them to enter parliament and win some municipalities as independents in the 2006 elections.

The "Centrist Reformists" (successors of the Initiative of Moderate Reformists) endorsed Saleh Ould Hanenna in the first round of the 2007 presidential election, with them backing Ahmed Ould Daddah in the second round.

Tewassoul was finally legally registered on 4 August 2007 after several failed attempts during the Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya regime.{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2007/8/4/موريتانيا-ترخص-لـ18-حزبا-سياسيا-أحدها |title=موريتانيا ترخص لـ18 حزبا سياسيا أحدها إسلامي |trans-title=Mauretania licenses 18 political parties, one of which is Islamist |newspaper=Al Jazeera |lang=ar |date=2007-08-04 |access-date=2024-07-06}}

Leadership

=President=

  • Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour (2007–25 December 2017)
  • Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Seyidi (25 December 2017–25 December 2022){{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2017/12/25/%D8%A5%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%88-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A7 |title=إسلاميو موريتانيا ينتخبون رئيسا جديدا لحزبهم |trans-title=Mauritanian Islamists elect a new president for their party |newspaper=Al Jazeera |lang=ar |date=2017-12-25 |access-date=2022-12-29}}
  • Hamadi Ould Sid'El Moctar (25 December 2022–present){{cite news |url=https://www.saharamedias.net/200425-%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%88-%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d9%8a%d8%ae%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%b3%d8%a7-%d8%ac%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%af/ |title=إسلاميو موريتانيا يختارون رئيسا جديدا لحزبهم |trans-title=Mauritanian Islamists choose a new president for their party |newspaper=SaharaMedias |lang=ar |date=2022-12-25 |access-date=2022-12-29}}

Electoral performance

=President of Mauritania=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

! rowspan=2 | Election year

! rowspan=2 | Candidate

! colspan=3 | 1st round

! colspan=3 | 2nd round

! rowspan=2 | Result

! rowspan=2 | Winning candidate

Votes

! %

! Rank

! Votes

! %

! Rank

2009

| Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour

| 36,864

| 4.74

| {{no|4th}}

| colspan=3 {{N/A}}

| {{no|Lost}}

| rowspan=2 | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

2014

| colspan=7 {{N/A}}

| {{Dropped|Boycotted}}

2019

| Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar

| 165,995

| 17.87

| {{no|3rd}}

| colspan=3 {{N/A}}

| {{no|Lost}}

| rowspan=2 | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani

2024

| Hamadi Ould Sid'El Moctar

| 126,187

| 12.76

| {{no|3rd}}

| colspan=3 {{N/A}}

| {{no|Lost}}

=National Assembly=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;font-size:95%;"
colspan="7" align="center"| National Assembly
rowspan="2" width="75"| Election

! rowspan="2" | Party leader

! colspan="2" | National list

! rowspan="2" | Seats

! rowspan="2" width="45"| +/–

! rowspan="2" | Government

width="70"| Votes

! width="65"| %

2013

| style="text-align:left;" | Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour

| 81,744

| 13.68%

| {{composition bar|16|146|hex={{party color|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

| style="text-align:center;" | {{increase}} 16

| {{no2|Opposition}}

2018

| style="text-align:left;" | Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Seyidi

| 79,283

| 11.28%

| {{composition bar|14|157|hex={{party color|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

| style="text-align:center;" | {{decrease}} 2

| {{no2|Opposition}}

2023

| style="text-align:left;" | Hamadi Ould Sid'El Moctar

| 99,431

| 10.24%

| {{composition bar|11|176|hex={{party color|National Rally for Reform and Development}}}}

| style="text-align:center;" | {{decrease}} 3

| {{no2|Opposition}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}