Former Defence Minister voted Mauritiania's new President

Tangier: Mohammad Ould Ghazouani has won Mauritania's presidential election with an absolute majority, the country's election commission announced.

Ould Ghazouani, a former defence minister, won 52.01% of votes cast in Saturday's polls, the commission said during a press conference early Monday. Ghazouani's nearest rival was prominent activist Biram Dah Abeid, who came in second with 18.58 percent of the vote.

Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, who was backed by the country's biggest Islamist party, came in third with 17.8 percent.

As Ghazouni won an absolute majority in the first round, the top two contender's did not head to a runoff.

Voters in Mauritania went to the polls on Saturday to choose a successor to President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.

Around 1.5 million people in the West African state were eligible to vote.