NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AFP)--Opponents of the coup that toppled Mauritania's first democratically elected president in August demanded Sunday his return to power, and not just promises to release him from house arrest.
"For us, the freeing of the president, which is the result of our people's fight and the junta's first show of response to international pressure, is tied to restoring him to his full powers," said Beijel Ould Houmeit, leader of the National Front for the Defense of Democracy (FNDD), at a press conference.
Mauritania's military junta chief, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has agreed to unconditionally free ousted President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi by December 24, the European Union and the African Union said on Friday.
Ould Houmeit, however, stressed that his group refuses "to compromise on the fundamental democratic principles acquired over several generations of Mauritanians."
Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was ousted in the August 6 coup, hours after he issued a decree firing the military's top brass, including the coup leader.
Since the coup, the junta has taken over the powers of the president and formed a new government with the support of a majority of deputies in parliament.
It has refused international calls to reinstate Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
The deposed president was moved to his home village last month after being held under house arrest in the capital, Nouakchott.
On Saturday, the prime minister of military-ruled Mauritania announced that meetings to set a date for a presidential election would be held starting December 27.
The FNDD has refused to take part in the talks.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=yM6Kqy729UXoSd7vO3GJww%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.

Publié le 14 Décembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones