[3] The 2007 election followed a military coup in August 2005 that ousted long-time President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya.

[7] Ba Mamadou Alassane, President of the Party for Freedom, Equality and Justice (PLEJ), announced his candidacy on July 19, 2006.

[10] Former military ruler Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, who came in second place, behind Taya, in the 2003 presidential election, announced his candidacy on December 27.

[11] On January 2, 2007, Mohamed Ould Maouloud, President of the Union of the Forces of Progress, was designated as his party's candidate.

[18] On January 20, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, President of the People's Progressive Alliance (APP), announced his candidacy.

[21] Abdallahi, who ran as an independent, was viewed by some as the candidate representing the ruling junta, and in January he received the backing of an important coalition of 18 parties composed of former supporters of Taya.

[24] Vall suggested at one point the possibility that, with blank ballots included in the total, no candidate would win a majority of the vote in two rounds, in which case new elections would have to be held.

[29] Hanenna also backed Daddah,[30] as did the candidates Ba Mamadou Alassane,[31] Mohamed Ould Maouloud,[32] and Ibrahima Sarr.

[48] He named Zeidane as prime minister the next day,[49] and Boulkheir was elected as president of the National Assembly on April 26.