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Niger to Begin Campaigning Ahead of January Elections

   Peter Clottey 23 December 2010
   The  head of the military junta, General Salou Djibo, casts his ballot
   in  Niamey as Niger voted today in a constitutional referendum, 31 Oct
   2010

Photo: AFP

   The  head of the military junta, General Salou Djibo, casts his ballot
   in  Niamey as Niger voted today in a constitutional referendum, 31 Oct
   2010

   A  prominent member of Nigerâs Consultative Council said the countryâs
   political  parties  will soon begin official campaigning ahead of next
   yearâs  presidential  and  parliamentary elections scheduled for 31^st
   January.

   Bazoum  Mohammed, who is also vice president of the Nigerien Party for
   Democracy   and   Socialism   (PNDS-Tarayya),  the  countryâs  biggest
   political  party,  told  VOA  there  is  unanimous agreement among all
   political parties to ensure the elections are credible.

   âFor  the local (election), the campaigning will begin on the 30^th of
   this  month  and  we  will  have one week of campaigning. And, for the
   presidential  and parliamentary election, it will begin on the 9^th of
   January and we will have three weeks for the campaigning.â

   This  came after Nigerâs Constitutional Court approved 10 presidential
   candidates to participate in the vote.

   The  presidential aspirants approved by the court include former Prime
   Minister  Hama  Amadou  of  the  Nigerien  Democratic  Movement (MDN),
   Mahamane  Ousmane  of  the  Niger  Progressive  Party (CDS), Mahamadou
   Issoufou of the PNDS-Tarayya party, as well as Bayard Mariama Gamatie,
   the countryâs first female presidential aspirant.

   The  presidential  election  will  return Niger to constitutional rule
   after  the military removed former President Mamadou Tandja from power
   in February.

   Mr. Tandja drew sharp criticism from the international community after
   he  amended  the  constitution to extend his mandate after serving two
   consecutive five-year terms as allowed in the constitution.

   Mohammed said Nigeriens are excited about the prospects of voting in a
   democratic election to choose their own leaders.

   âNigeriens  are  very  happy  to  have  (a) free election and they are
   confident  in  the electoral commission. And, we think that everything
   will  go  (smoothly)  and  we  are  very  confident in our (countryâs)
   future.  We  think  that  we  will  have  new and stable institutions,
   (which) will be good for our country,â said Mohammed.

   He   further   said  that  the  country  lost  its  place  within  the
   international community after the coup dâétat.

   âNiger   has  been  excluded  from  many  regional  and  international
   institutions.  And  now,  when  we have (restored) the rule of law, we
   know that we will be accepted everywhere,â said Mohammed.

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