Mauritania’s elections will take place on July 18, two weeks from tomorrow. I’ve already discussed some of the major/interesting candidates, such as current military ruler General Abdelaziz and former military ruler Colonel Vall, as well as an Islamist candidate who doesn’t seem like a serious contender but whose results will be worthy of study to see how political Islam is faring in Mauritania.

Conveniently, AFP has published an article discussing the main candidates:

Ten candidates have come forward for the presidential election in Mauritania on July 18, according to a list that was released Wednesday by the constitutional council.

The campaign for the election will start on Thursday, but the Mauritanian News Agency (AMI) said that the list of candidates was still “provisional,” according to the council.

Six new candidates have come forward, including the three main opposition leaders, after a successful international bid to end a political crisis that began with a military coup last August.

The three leaders are Ahmed Ould Daddah, head of the main opposition party, the Rally of Democratic Forces, parliamentary speaker Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, who is the candidate of the National Front for the Defence of Democracy, and Jemil Ould Mansour, leader of the Islamist party Tewassoul.

Heading up the ranks of their political foes is retired General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who on August 6 last year overthrew the first democratically leader of the large mainly desert nation, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Ould Cheikh Abdallahi last Friday signed a decree appointing a transitional government, then officially resigned his office in front of the constitutional council and Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, who led the mediation.

From what I can see, General Abdelaziz remains the favorite, with Colonel Vall still perhaps his strongest competitor. If opposition forces divide their strength between three candidates, no opposition candidate can match the power of incumbency. Still, a great deal can happen in two weeks.