NOUAKCHOTT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Mauritania has voted in favor of a referendum to abolish the senate and change the national flag in what the West African county's opposition says is just a bid by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to bolster power and extend his mandate. While turnout was 53.73 per cent, 85 per cent 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. But the boycott movement drew broad political support from figures as diverse as religious conservatives and anti-slavery activists. 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.”

They said they would not recognise the results of the referendum, having previously claimed the government would rig the vote. While Aziz and his supporters are seeking a "Yes" vote, one moderate opposition party is seeking a "No", while the rest have joined civil society groups to call for a total boycott for amendments they consider unconstitutional. Turnout was just 36 per cent in the capital, Nouakchott, but was much higher in the remote west African nation's rural areas, at times hitting 80 per cent, the electoral commission said. The boycott movement held several protests attracting thousands of supporters, but were also prevented from demonstrating by the security forces, who on Thursday shut down several planned rallies close to the capital with tear gas and beat protesters back with batons. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the Office of the UN Commissioners for Human Rights, said that "the authorities reportedly did not respond to the majority of requests for authorisation for the protests and actively dispersed gatherings". Around 1.4 million Mauritanians were eligible to vote, and celebrations were expected from the select opposition parties that did support the revision. The opposition groups opposed to the measure say they are concerned that, despite President Aziz's claims to the contrary, he is laying the groundwork for a third term in power - with his own prime minister saying in July that he supported the idea. Mr Aziz himself fuelled speculation on Saturday by saying that "in two years, or even 10 years, other amendments could arise to adapt our Constitution to reality", without elaborating. Suppression of dissent

Aziz called for the referendum after the senate rejected the proposed changes in March, an apparent surprise to the president whose party maintains the majority. About 20 senators, who have held a sit-in for three days at their chamber, suspended their protest and said they would gather on Monday to consider the "fraud" committed by Mr Aziz and his supporters, according to a statement. He first came to power in a coup in 2008 and won a second term in 2014, but is barred by the constitution from running again. The Mauritanian flag will now feature red bands added to the current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star, to honour the blood spilt by those who fought for freedom from colonial master France.
Voters in Mauritania participate in a referendum on whether to amend the Constitution of Mauritania, with the abolition of the Senate and addition of red bands to the flag of Mauritania among the most significant proposed changes. The OCHR has criticised Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's government for apparent suppression of opposition protests.