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Democracy News
Nigerien Opposition Candidate Wins Presidential Election
March 14, 2011
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly
On March 14, the head of Niger’s National Independent Electoral Commission, Abdourhamane Ghousmane, announced that opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou had won the second round of the country’s presidential election runoff after receiving 58 percent of the overall votes. Issoufou’s challenger former Prime Minister Seini Oumarou, received approximately 42 percent of the vote. Voice of America reported that Issoufou was expected to win the run-off after gaining pledges of support from four candidates from the first round. In the first round, Issoufou received 6 percent of the vote while Oumarou received approximately 23 percent. Several international observers, including the African Union, expressed satisfaction with the vote. The country’s constitutional court now has two weeks to certify the provisional results.
In a statement, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the run-off “an important step towards restoring democratic governance.” Additionally, the Secretary-General also pledged continued support for the people of Niger as they address post-transition challenges in the future. Similarly, Bloomberg reported that European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, in a joint statement with EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs, said, “The poll was a major step towards the restoration of full cooperation between Niger and the European Union.” Previously, the EU suspended some of its scheduled development aid to Niger following the coup that removed former President Mamadou Tandja.
During Tandja’s reign (1999-2000), Issoufou was the country’s main opposition leader. Tandja, who is currently in prison on corruption charges, was ousted during a bloodless military coup in February 2010. Prior to his removal from office, Tandja made several unconstitutional power grabs, including dissolving the country’s parliament and constitutional court in an effort to silence governmental opposition. After Tandja’s removal, junta interim leader Major Salou Djibo pledged to return the country to democracy. The country’s military now has until April 6, 2011, to return the country to civilian rule.
For previous news on Niger, please see:
Nigerien Presidential Election Heads To Run-Off
Sources:
BBC News - Niger election: Opposition's Mahamadou Issoufou wins
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