With more than 64 percent of the electorate turning out for Saturday's vote, Interior Minister Mohamed Ould Rzeidzim says Aziz won more than National Assembly President Messaoud Ould Boulkheir finished second with more than 16 percent.
VOA: standard.2009.07.19
His main rival, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, who had been the parliament's speaker, strongly opposing last year's coup, got only 16%, ahead of three other candidates.
Later, a British plane carrying an emergency deployment team had arrived at the Hassi Messaoud airport, about 300 miles (480km) north-west of Amenas, the Foreign Office said.