Nigerien parliamentary election, 2009
Encyclopedia
A parliamentary election was held in Niger
on 20 October 2009, in the wake of President Mamadou Tandja's dissolution of the National Assembly
in May 2009 and a successful constitution referendum
in August 2009.
However, the Electoral Commission announced in June that the election would be moved to 20 August, two weeks after the controversial referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Tandja to remain in office.
(MNSD). In May 2009, after Tandja informed the National Assembly of his plans to call a referendum on the matter, 23 deputies asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether he could do so. The Court ruled against Tandja on 25 May 2009; it said that although article 49 of the constitution allowed the President to call referendums, that should not be interpreted to mean he could call referendums on the content of the constitution itself, because the presidential oath required him to respect the constitution. Tandja then promptly dissolved the National Assembly on 26 May. It was suggested that he did so because he was concerned that the government would lose its parliamentary majority and face a vote of no confidence.
The election date was originally set by the Supreme Court on 19 June 2009. The Chairman of the 66 member decentralized organization which operates and certifies all elections, Niger National Independent Election Commission (CENI), Moumouni Hamidou stated, following the 18 June Court decision, that they would not hold the 4 August referendum, and were preparing almost 7 million voting cards for the 20 August legislative election.
Despite this, Interior Minister Albade Abouba
announced on 28 June, following President Tandja's assumption of emergency powers, that both the 4 August referendum and the 20 August parliamentary election would go ahead.
On 19 August 2009, following the success of the referendum, it was announced that the parliamentary election would be held on 20 October 2009, with a campaigning period from 28 September to 18 October. The opposition indicated that it would boycott the election.
The opposition announced on 26 September that it was boycotting the election, and on 27 September President Tandja called for a massive turnout. The campaign began on 28 September, as planned. About 20 parties participated, although most of them supported Tandja and were allied with his party, the MNSD.
Despite the opposition boycott and warnings from ECOWAS, the election was held as planned on 20 October. ECOWAS promptly suspended Niger "until constitutional legality is reinstated", stating that it would "not recognize the outcome" of the election. Niger's Foreign Minister, Aichatou Mindaoudou
, said on 21 October that ECOWAS had made a mistake in its "assessment of the political situation in our country" and that Niger would try to convince ECOWAS to change its position, without "cast[ing] aspersions on ECOWAS".
(RSD), seven for the Rally for Democracy and Progress
(RDP), one for RPN-Alkalami (a party founded in June 2009 by a former cabinet Minister), one for the Nigerien Party of the Masses for Labor, one for the Union of Independent Nigeriens
(Union des Nigériens Indépendants) and one for the Nigerien Party for Self-Management. The RSD increased its number of seats by eight on the last election and the RDP gained an extra seat. Eleven independent candidates won the remaining seats, making this election the first time that independents have won seats in the assembly. The Nigerien Constitutional Court had 15 days to validate the election from the date of the announcement of the results.
At the official certification of the results on 11 November, the government announced that one seat, won by an independent candidate for the Tassarra constituency, was annulled by the Constitutional Court of Niger, and a bye-election for that seat would take place at an unspecified date. Until that time, only 112 of the 113 representatives would be seated. A second change made by the court, annulling the vote at a single polling station in Koygolo Commune, Boboye Department
, Dosso Region did not require the changing of the outcome of that seat. In doing so the Court turned down several other appeals against the results, and declared that the five year term of the 112 deputies had begun at 0 hours, 11 November 2009, and would end at exactly 24 hours, 11 November 2014.
Seyni Oumarou
, the President of the MNSD, was elected as President of the National Assembly on 25 November 2009. The vote was unanimous, with all of the 109 deputies who were present voting in favor of his candidacy. Oumarou said on the occasion that he would work to restore the National Assembly's image in the wake of the controversies of the preceding months.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
on 20 October 2009, in the wake of President Mamadou Tandja's dissolution of the National Assembly
National Assembly of Niger
The unicameral National Assembly of Niger is the country's sole legislative body. The National Assembly may propose laws and is required to approve all legislation.-History:...
in May 2009 and a successful constitution referendum
Nigerien constitutional referendum, 2009
A constitutional referendum was held in Niger on 4 August 2009. The purpose of the referendum was to submit to Nigerien voters the dissolution of the Fifth Republic of Niger and the creation of a "Sixth Republic of Niger" under a fully presidential system of government...
in August 2009.
Election date
The Independent Electoral Commission announced on 15 May 2009 that the election would be held on 28 November 2009, between the first and second rounds of the presidential election on 14 November and 6 December 2009.However, the Electoral Commission announced in June that the election would be moved to 20 August, two weeks after the controversial referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Tandja to remain in office.
Constitutional crisis
This period was dominated by controversy regarding President Tandja's efforts to have the constitution changed so that he would be allowed to run for re-election; those efforts were opposed by the opposition as well as parties within the presidential majority coalition and some elements of Tandja's own party, the National Movement for the Development of SocietyNational Movement for the Development of Society
The National Movement for the Society of Development - MNSD / MNSD-Nassara is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974-1990 period, it was the ruling party of Niger from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1999 until a coup on February 18, 2010, by a military junta...
(MNSD). In May 2009, after Tandja informed the National Assembly of his plans to call a referendum on the matter, 23 deputies asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether he could do so. The Court ruled against Tandja on 25 May 2009; it said that although article 49 of the constitution allowed the President to call referendums, that should not be interpreted to mean he could call referendums on the content of the constitution itself, because the presidential oath required him to respect the constitution. Tandja then promptly dissolved the National Assembly on 26 May. It was suggested that he did so because he was concerned that the government would lose its parliamentary majority and face a vote of no confidence.
The election date was originally set by the Supreme Court on 19 June 2009. The Chairman of the 66 member decentralized organization which operates and certifies all elections, Niger National Independent Election Commission (CENI), Moumouni Hamidou stated, following the 18 June Court decision, that they would not hold the 4 August referendum, and were preparing almost 7 million voting cards for the 20 August legislative election.
Despite this, Interior Minister Albade Abouba
Albadé Abouba
Albadé Abouba is a Nigerien politician who has been the Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society since 2009. He served in the government of Niger as Minister of the Interior from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2010...
announced on 28 June, following President Tandja's assumption of emergency powers, that both the 4 August referendum and the 20 August parliamentary election would go ahead.
On 19 August 2009, following the success of the referendum, it was announced that the parliamentary election would be held on 20 October 2009, with a campaigning period from 28 September to 18 October. The opposition indicated that it would boycott the election.
The opposition announced on 26 September that it was boycotting the election, and on 27 September President Tandja called for a massive turnout. The campaign began on 28 September, as planned. About 20 parties participated, although most of them supported Tandja and were allied with his party, the MNSD.
Despite the opposition boycott and warnings from ECOWAS, the election was held as planned on 20 October. ECOWAS promptly suspended Niger "until constitutional legality is reinstated", stating that it would "not recognize the outcome" of the election. Niger's Foreign Minister, Aichatou Mindaoudou
Aïchatou Mindaoudou
Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane is a Nigerien politician. She served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger from 1999 to 2010, with an interruption from 2000 to 2001...
, said on 21 October that ECOWAS had made a mistake in its "assessment of the political situation in our country" and that Niger would try to convince ECOWAS to change its position, without "cast[ing] aspersions on ECOWAS".
Results
The turnout for the elections was 51.27% of the six million registered voters. According to official results announced by CENI President Moumouni Hamidou on 24 October the governing MNSD won the election by taking 76 of 113 seats in the National Assembly. The MNSD had held 47 seats in the previous assembly. Five parties considered allied to the MNSD won 25 seats: 15 for the Social Democratic RallySocial Democratic Rally
The Social Democratic Rally is a political party in Niger. Its president is Amadou Cheiffou and its first secretary-general is Mahamadou Ali Tchémogo.-Founding and 2004 elections:...
(RSD), seven for the Rally for Democracy and Progress
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Niger)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is a political party in Niger. It was established as the ruling party during the presidency of Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara.-Under second military regime and Fourth Republic:...
(RDP), one for RPN-Alkalami (a party founded in June 2009 by a former cabinet Minister), one for the Nigerien Party of the Masses for Labor, one for the Union of Independent Nigeriens
Union of Independent Nigeriens
The Union of Independent Nigeriens is a political party in Niger. It contested the legislative elections of 4 December 2004 in an alliance with the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism....
(Union des Nigériens Indépendants) and one for the Nigerien Party for Self-Management. The RSD increased its number of seats by eight on the last election and the RDP gained an extra seat. Eleven independent candidates won the remaining seats, making this election the first time that independents have won seats in the assembly. The Nigerien Constitutional Court had 15 days to validate the election from the date of the announcement of the results.
At the official certification of the results on 11 November, the government announced that one seat, won by an independent candidate for the Tassarra constituency, was annulled by the Constitutional Court of Niger, and a bye-election for that seat would take place at an unspecified date. Until that time, only 112 of the 113 representatives would be seated. A second change made by the court, annulling the vote at a single polling station in Koygolo Commune, Boboye Department
Boboye Department
Boboye is a department of the Dosso Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Boboye....
, Dosso Region did not require the changing of the outcome of that seat. In doing so the Court turned down several other appeals against the results, and declared that the five year term of the 112 deputies had begun at 0 hours, 11 November 2009, and would end at exactly 24 hours, 11 November 2014.
Seyni Oumarou
Seyni Oumarou
Seyni Oumarou is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from June 2007 to September 2009 and President of the National Assembly of Niger from November 2009 to February 2010. He is from the west of the country and is a member of the Djerma ethnic group...
, the President of the MNSD, was elected as President of the National Assembly on 25 November 2009. The vote was unanimous, with all of the 109 deputies who were present voting in favor of his candidacy. Oumarou said on the occasion that he would work to restore the National Assembly's image in the wake of the controversies of the preceding months.
See also
- 2009 Nigerien constitutional crisis2009 Nigerien constitutional crisisThe 2009–2010 Nigerien constitutional crisis occurred in Niger due to a political conflict between President Mamadou Tandja and judicial and legislative bodies regarding the Constitutional referendum that opponents claimed was an attempt to extend his mandate beyond the constitutional maximum...
- Nigerien constitutional referendum, 2009Nigerien constitutional referendum, 2009A constitutional referendum was held in Niger on 4 August 2009. The purpose of the referendum was to submit to Nigerien voters the dissolution of the Fifth Republic of Niger and the creation of a "Sixth Republic of Niger" under a fully presidential system of government...
External links
- Arrêt n° 08/09/CC/ME Du 19 Septembre 2009. Full text of the Constitutional Court ruling convoking the electorate. Includes full list of parties, seats and constituencies, as well as electoral procedures, deadlines, and applicable laws.