Image copyright AFP Image caption The opposition boycotted the vote and called it a "farce"

Mauritanians have voted to abolish the upper house of their parliament, the Senate, in a controversial referendum that was boycotted by the opposition. The proposal to modify the constitution, in force since 1991, was rejected by the senate in March, leading Aziz to call the referendum to push through the changes. While turnout was 53.73 percent, 85 percent of voters on Saturday declared "Yes" to changes put to a referendum when they were defeated in the senate in March, despite fierce criticism from a boycott movement that called mass protests during campaigning. Members of opposition parties spearheading the boycotters held a press conference on Sunday during which they denounced an "electoral farce which has given way to open-air fraud," adding that people "had clearly rejected the constitutional amendments." The country’s president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, on Friday described the senate as “useless and too costly.”

He has said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking. He is barred by the constitution from running a third term - he came to power in a coup in 2008, was elected president the following year and won a second term in 2014.
Results from Saturday's constitutional referendum show Mauritanians have voted to abolish the Senate. Turnout was 53.73%, with 85% of voters supporting the change, according to officials.