Mauritanian Regroupment Party

Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM, French Parti de Regroupement Mauritanien; Arabic: حزب التجمع الموريتاني ) was a political party in Mauritania from 1958 to 1961. Although nominally led by party President Sidi el-Mokhtar N'Diaye, it was de facto headed by Moktar Ould Daddah.[1]

Mauritanian Regroupment Party

Parti de Regroupement Mauritanien
حزب التجمع الموريتاني
PresidentSidi el-Mokhtar N'Diaye
Secretary-GeneralMoktar Ould Daddah
FounderMoktar Ould Daddah
FoundedMay 1958 (May 1958)
Dissolved4 October 1961 (4 October 1961)
Preceded byUPM
Entente Mauritanienne
BDG
Succeeded byMauritanian People's Party
HeadquartersNouakchott, Mauritania
IdeologyMauritanian Nationalism

Foundation

Daddah founded the party in May 1958 in an attempt to unite the various competing political groups within Mauritania into a single inclusive organisation so as to both strengthen the credibility of Mauritanian independence movement and secure his own power. At the Council of Aleg Daddah persuaded the Mauritanian Progressive Union, the Entente Mauritanienne, and the black nationalist Bloc Démocratique du Gorgol to merge to form the Mauritanian Regroupment Party.[1]

Ideology

The party was strongly nationalistic, and opposed the inclusion of Mauritania into either a Greater Morocco, or any other form of federation, rejecting a proposal by France for a federation uniting all of its Saharan African territories into a Common Saharan States Organization. The party did however favour joining the French Community, and campaigned for a yes vote in the 1958 referendum.[2]

The party sought to maintain the balance between Mauritania's Moorish and Black African communities, and local PRM committees were set up that were open to all citizens. In July 1958 more radical anti-French and Arab nationalist members were expelled, and later formed the Nadha party on September 26, 1958. The PRM moved closer to Mali for support against Morocco's plans for the inclusion of Mauritania in a Greater Morocco, plans which the Arab nationalist Nadha party supported. The PRM also developed a more flexible attitude towards France.[2]

Independence & Dissolution

The PRM went on to win every seat at the 1959 parliamentary election, although did so largely due to non-PRM political activity being banned, and PRM loyalists controlling selections to the electoral lists.[2] Following independence in November 1960 most Mauritanian politicians rallied around Daddah and the PRM, and relations between the PRM and the Nadha party warmed, with the latter being granted several seats in the Council of Ministers in September 1961.

In October 1961 Daddah organised a Conference of Unity, and on 4 October the PRM was merged with several other Mauritanian parties to form the Mauritanian People's Party.[2]

Electoral history

Presidential Elections
Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1961 Moktar Ould Daddah 370,970 100% Elected Y

National Assembly elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1959 Moktar Ould Daddah 350,126 100%
40 / 40
 40 1st Sole legal party

References
  1. Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 218. ISBN 9780810830950.
  2. Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 219. ISBN 9780810830950.


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