| Country: | Mauritania |
| Flag Year: | 1959 |
| Previous Election: | 2001 |
| Next Election: | 2013 |
| Election Date: | 19 November 2006 (first round) |
| Seats For Election: | All 95 seats in the National Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 48 |
| Turnout: | 73.42% (18.97pp) |
| Nopercentage: | yes |
| Party1: | Rally of Democratic Forces |
| Leader1: | Ahmed Ould Daddah |
| Seats1: | 16 |
| Last Election1: | 3 |
| Party3: | Union of the Forces of Progress |
| Leader3: | Mohamed Ould Maouloud |
| Seats3: | 9 |
| Last Election3: | 3 |
| Party4: | PRDR |
| Colour4: |
|
| Leader4: | Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed Vall |
| Seats4: | 7 |
| Last Election4: | 64 |
| Party5: | APP |
| Leader5: | Messaoud Ould Boulkheir |
| Seats5: | 6 |
| Last Election5: | 4 |
| Party6: | Rally for Democracy and Unity |
| Leader6: | Ahmed Ould Sidi Baba |
| Seats6: | 3 |
| Last Election6: | 3 |
| Party7: | Union for Democracy and Progress |
| Leader7: | Naha Mint Mouknass |
| Seats7: | 3 |
| Last Election7: | 3 |
| Party8: | Mauritanian Party of Union and Change |
| Leader8: | Saleh Ould Hanenna |
| Seats8: | 3 |
| Last Election8: | New |
| Party9: | RD |
| Leader9: | Moustapha Ould Abeiderrahmane |
| Seats9: | 2 |
| Last Election9: | New |
| Party10: | Alternative |
| Seats10: | 1 |
| Last Election10: | New |
| Party11: | RNLDE |
| Colour11: |
|
| Leader11: | Sidi Haidra Ahmed Salem |
| Seats11: | 1 |
| Last Election11: | New |
| Party12: | Popular Front (Mauritania) |
| Leader12: | Lemine Ch'bih Melainine |
| Seats12: | 1 |
| Last Election12: | 1 |
| Party13: | PUDS |
| Leader13: | Mahfoudh Ould El Azizi |
| Seats13: | 1 |
| Last Election13: | 0 |
| Party14: | UCD |
| Leader14: | Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould Baba |
| Seats14: | 1 |
| Last Election14: | New |
| Party15: | Independents |
| Leader15: | – |
| Seats15: | 41 |
| Last Election15: | 0 |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Prime Minister-designate |
| Before Election: | Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar |
| Before Party: | PRDS |
| After Election: | Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar |
| After Party: | Independent politician |
Parliamentary elections were held in Mauritania on 19 November 2006, with a second round on 3 December.[1] [2] At least 28 political parties competed for seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament. Islamist parties were banned, but many Islamists ran as independent candidates. 95 seats in the National Assembly were at stake in the election, along with over 200 local councils.[3]
About 600 independent candidates ran in the election, many of whom were grouped into the National Rally of Independents (RNI). Many members of the RNI were formerly members of the Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), which had ruled the country under President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya.[4]
Before the first round's count was complete, Ahmed Ould Daddah claimed victory for his party, the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD), saying that it was "the country's biggest political force", and claiming that the eight-party coalition including the RFD had won a majority. The People's Progressive Alliance (APP), a party for former slaves that is also part of the coalition, and the renamed former ruling party, the Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal, were also reported to have performed well.[5]
Results from the first round confirmed a strong showing for the RFD, which won 12 out of the 43 declared seats;[3] [6] independent candidates also did well, taking 24 seats.[6] For 52 seats, however, candidates did not receive majorities and these seats had to be decided in the second round.[3] [6] After the second round was held on 3 December, the coalition of former opposition parties had 39 seats (including 15 for the RFD), with an additional two seats for independents supporting the coalition. Independents won 41 seats, 39 of which were part of the RNI. The former ruling party won seven seats.[4]
17.89% of the deputies elected were female.[4]
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir of the APP was elected as President of the National Assembly on April 26, 2007. There were 93 deputies present for the vote, and 91 of them voted for Ould Boulkheir; two other deputies, Babah Ould Ahmed Babou and El Arbi Ould Jideyne, each received one vote.[7]