The junta leader of Mauritania appears to be on course to win a delayed general election. However, opposition parties have said the poll is a fraud.

The four main challengers to General Ould Abdel Aziz have described the vote as ‘prefabricated’. The poll is being seen as an opportunity for the coup-plagued desert nation, which straddles the Arab and African world, to end decades of military rule and show donors it is ready to rejoin the international fold. Current leader, General Abdel Aziz looks set to have avoided a second round. The ballot is the first since he took power following a coup in 2008. Of the other candidates, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, who has strongly condemned the vote, lags well behind in second place. Figures show voting has been steady with turnout at around 61 percent. While no observers have come from the EU or UN, those monitoring polling stations from the African Union and Arab League report the election has been fair and transparent.More about: Mauritania

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