Niger’s opposition parties, united under the Coordination of Forces for Democracy and the Republic (CFDR, NGOs and unions) have called on Nigeriens to observe a “massive boycott” of Sunday’s local elections initiated by President Mamadou Tandja, who extended his term of office to three years to stay in power until 2012.
“We call on all Nigeriens, all those concerned with our country’s future and want to give a stroke of luck to democracy and preservation of liberties not to care about the so-called elections scheduled for 27 December,” said Professor Daouda Hamani, president of the opposition party Conir Himma.
While giving the deliberations of the CFDR’s general assembly held on Saturday in Niamey, Hamani called on Nigeriens to “massively boycott” these elections organized in accordance with the new Constitution adopted in August by President Tandja through a controversial referendum.
The opposition, which had already boycotted the constitutional referendum and then the 20 October legislative elections, is planning to stay away from the polls to be held on Sunday after extending for six months the mandate of local governments ordered by the Nigerien head of state by means of a series of exceptional measures he adopted to modify the electoral law in June.
In the past, the CFDR was careful not to actively disturb the elections, but it urges its followers to have such an attitude by “staying at home and attending to their affairs as usual,” Moussa Idrissa, a union official told APA.
Some 49,914 candidates are registered to be among the 266 local governments at the end of an electoral campaign which was said to be rather “gloomy,” according to several observers from the national political arena.
Niger’s last municipal elections were held in July 2004, but the four-year terms of city councilors was firstly extended due to the overhaul of the electoral register, which was unanimously decided by the Nigerien government.
As a former 71-year old Colonel elected in 1999 and again in 2004 by the polls, President Tandja successively dissolved the Parliament and the Constitutional Court before changing the electoral law adopted by a referendum a new constitution boycotted by the opposition which keeps him in power until 2012.
Under the Constitution, adopted in 1999 and under which he was ruling the country, the head of the Nigerien state should have theoretically left office on December 22 after his second five-year tenure.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which suspended Niger from its membership said Tuesday it noted the “lawful end” of the mandate of President Tandja, who had strongly criticized the regional body.
Like the European Union, Washington, which also opposes Nigerien leader’s staying in power has formally suspended its financial assistance to Niamey, and imposed a travel ban on the Nigerien authorities.
Talks are currently under way between the Nigerien government and the opposition under the auspices of ECOWAS in Niamey to find “consensual” solutions leading to a possible power-sharing, it is said.
Source African Press Agency
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