Mauritania: Three Mauritanian political parties form alliance

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – Three opposition parties in Mauritania have formed a coalition with the goal of merging into a single party, sources informed about the political union told PANA Friday.

The coalescing parties -- Movement for Refoundation (MPR), National Alliance for Democracy and Development (PNDD-Adil) and Democratic Regeneration (RD) -- have set up a framework for unity known as Patriotic Alliance (AP).

"Arguments that justify the grouping seem to me more important than the possible inconvenience that could come out of it," said Kane Hamidou Baba, leader of MPR and former vice president of Parliament.

"From its foundation, MPR aims at national integration and democracy in social justice," he said. "We want to strengthen the unity of the country. Political parties working separately have difficulties to reflect the social and cultural realities.”

According to Hamidou Baba, the best way for the parties to win power through democratic elections requires a strong coalition at national level.

-0- PANA SAS/BEH/IBA/MSA/AR 7Nov2014