President Maaoya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya, who developed close ties to the United States and Israel, won re-election in this Arab-dominated nation on Saturday, the government declared after defeating a challenger backed by Islamic conservatives and liberal reformers alike. With all results tallied, Taya the country's president for the past 19 years garnered 67 percent of the vote, enough to assure him of a first-round victory, according to the Interior Ministry, which ran the vote.
| Meet the New Taya, same as the Ould Taya... |
His strongest competitor among five challengers, Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, trailed with 19 percent, the ministry said. The results must still be confirmed by the courts to become official.
| I think we all knew he was going to beat the Big Khouna... |
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