REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NOUAKCHOTT -- Mauritania's ruling party has won a large majority in legislative and local elections, while an Islamist party came second, the elections commission said Tuesday.

The ruling Union for the Republic (UPR) took 56 of 121 seats won in the first round, a victory of 46 percent. Another 26 seats will go to a second round of voting on December 7.

The main Islamist party Tewassoul, which had been closely-watched as it took part in elections for the first time, has won 12 seats, according to the results.

Tewassoul, the only member of the 11-party Coordination of Democratic Opposition (COD) to resist an election boycott, has claimed the poll was marred by fraud.