Renewal (PRDS), to field candidates for the Senate elections. However, the party secured only 1 percent of the vote nationwide, and did not secure a seat in neither parliament nor senate. Kabry Ould Taleb Jiddou, the party's leader, was rewarded the office of Secretary of State by the newly elected Government because of his electoral campaign. The branch supports full Arabization of the country, a view considered racist by critics. President Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla introduced an anti-Ba'athist policy when in power (1980-1984). This policy was continued under his successor President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. Despite this, the Mauritanian Government supported Iraq during the Gulf War. In 2003, several members of the party were jailed on suspicion of trying to overthrow the Government. The party was banned in 1999, following the restoration of bilateral relations with Israel. It was accused of developing plans in collaborations with the Iraqi government to foment a Coup within the country. Mohamed Ould Abdellahi Ould Eyye, the party's leader, was arrested in 2003 following an anti-Government protest which demanded the Government to break its relations with Israel and the United States, and help Ba'athist Iraq. Ould Eyye, along with 13 other Ba'athists, was arrested by Government forces, and the party's headquarters were raided in May. Another pro-Iraqi Ba'ath party did take its place, the Party for Work and National Unity (, abbreviated PTUN). However, while PTUN is close to the Iraqi Ba'ath branch, the group is small and largely inactive. See also Sawab Socialist Democratic Unionist Party References 1991 establishments in Mauritania Arab nationalism in Mauritania Ba'athist parties Mauritania Banned socialist parties Political parties established in 1991 Political parties in Mauritania Socialist parties in Mauritania