Constitution of Mauritania

The current Constitution of Mauritania was adopted on 12 July 1991. There have been several constitutions since Mauritania's independence in 1960.

Mauritania's current constitution was adopted on 12 July 1991. Under the Constitution, Islam is the state religion, and the President must be a Muslim.

The constitution also provides for universal, equal, and secret suffrage in elections for President and Parliament, either direct or indirect, and the protection of public and individual freedoms, including the right to form political parties, protection from slavery, the right to strike, and the right to property. Specifically listed protected freedoms include freedom of movement, expression, assembly, association, commerce, and intellectual creation.

Under the constitution, the President is elected by universal direct suffrage and is vested with the executive powers including supreme command of the armed forces, right of appointment to civil and military offices, and promulgation and execution of the law. He is subject to constraints by the Parliament. The Parliament under the constitution consists of a National Assembly and a Senate, the members of whom are given immunity to prosecution based on their votes. The constitution provides for situations where the President may call for an extraordinary session of Parliament.

The constitution also mandates the independence of the judiciary and protections against arbitrary detention, as well as a High Court of Justice as the supreme court of Mauritania.

A High Islamic Council, an Economic and Social Council, and a National Commission of the Rights of Man are also mandated as consultative councils under the constitution.

A 2006 referendum made the first changes since its initiation.

As soon as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania was proclaimed in October 1958, the Territorial Assembly changed its name to the Constituent Assembly and immediately initiated work to draft a national constitution; the document was unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly in March 1959 in place of the French constitution, and on November 28, 1960, Mauritania declared its independence. The constitution was ratified on May 20, 1961.

...
Wikipedia