Mauritanians voted nearly unanimously in favor of a constitutional amendment that will limit the term of the president to two terms.
The referendum took place on Sunday. Results on Monday night showed that 97 percent of the electorate voted in favor of the change.
The turnout in the referendum was 76 percent of approximately one million registered voters.
Mauritania, an impoverished member of the Arab League in north-west Africa, has seen several coup attempts in recent years. Presidential elections are scheduled for next March.
The results still await the approval of the country’s constitutional council. If approved, Mauritania will be one of the few Arab countries to limit presidential terms.