Mauritania’s Tewassoul Party Holds Rally to Protest Price Hike
(AWP) - Mauritania’s opposition National Rally for Reform and Development (RNRD), also known as Tewassoul, the Arabic word for ‘communication,’ held a convention to protest the recent price hike and increasing cost of living.
The party said in a statement that the Mauritanian people were “suffering from prices of essentials skyrocketing by nearly 35%, while the fuel price has increased by 30%, enormously affecting citizens’ purchasing power.”
Hammadi Ould Sid Al Mokhtar, the RNRD leader, said that Tewassoul is in the square with the people of Mauritania in their suffering, as stated by the party in its slogan.
“Tewassoul was at the forefront in the fight against corruption, and will always remain so, in honest effort for the reform, progress and welfare of this homeland,” he added.
Mohamed Ould Mohamed Mubarak, a member of the Mauritanian parliament from Tewassoul, said the party wants the Mauritanian people to enjoy their lives and wealth.
“It does not make sense to see Mauritanians today troubled by the price hike because of the government. On January 25, the Mauritanian government raised the prices of pharmaceuticals and foodstuff taxes, which means that this government is sponsoring corruption,” said Mubarak in a speech at the rally.
A’isha Mint Bouna, the chairperson of Tewassoul’s Women Committee, said that the convention was an important gathering to express the party's rejection of the reality of injustice and corruption in the country.
“This rally was held, although it is not customary to grant licenses for conventions, but our vehicles were prohibited from touring the districts for mobilization efforts,” she noted.
The RNRD called for dialogue as a “means of handling the country’s chronic problems, launching reform, and putting an end to corruption,” adding, “this is the best option to spare the homeland the downfalls experienced in other countries.”