Elections in Niger

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Elections in Niger are based on the characteristics of a semi - presidential multi - party system . The most important regular elections in Niger are the direct election of the President of the Republic and the elections to the National Assembly .

Historical development

The first elections took place during the French colonial era when Niger was converted from a colony to an overseas territory in 1946. A system of electoral colleges initially preferred citizens of metropolitan France until 1956 based on the loi-cadre Defferre the universal suffrage was introduced. The initial multi-party system was abolished shortly before Niger's independence in 1960. During the First Republic (1960–1974) with its one-party system of the Nigerien Progressive Party , only sham elections were held. No elections at all were held during the régime d'exception (1974-1989) under the Supreme Military Council . In 1993 a multi-party system was reintroduced. Since then, the elections in Niger have been largely free and fair, and their results are generally accepted by all campaigners. Exceptions, with obvious election manipulation and election boycotts, were the periods of the Fourth Republic (1996–1999) and the Sixth Republic (2009–2010).

Electoral system

General

The right to vote have all Niger citizens and citizens with a minimum age of 18 years.

An independent authority, the Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI), is entrusted with the organization, handling and monitoring of the electoral process . The jurisdiction responsible for presidential and parliamentary elections lies with the Constitutional Court.

Presidential election

Mahamadou Issoufou , elected President of the Republic of Niger in 2011

The President of the Republic of Niger is elected by general, free , direct , equal and secret ballot for a term of five years. Re-election is only possible once. The regulation of terms of office and re-election is of paramount importance in the constitution, as it is enshrined in an eternity clause . Nigerien citizens with a minimum age of 35 years are eligible . They must be physically and mentally healthy and have their morality demonstrated. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting, a second round of voting is carried out with the two candidates with the most votes, from which the candidate with the most votes emerges as the winner. The Constitutional Court monitors the correctness of electoral suitability, the conduct of elections and the election results.

Parliamentary elections

The members of the National Assembly, the unicameral parliament of the Republic of Niger, are elected by general, free, direct, equal and secret ballot. The proposed legislative period is five years. Nigerian citizens with a minimum age of 21 years are eligible. The candidates are put up in lists of political parties , party alliances or independents, whereby at least 75% of the candidates per list must have a primary school certificate. The decisions about the eligibility of candidates and the validity of the election of the deputies are incumbent on the Constitutional Court.

Other options

With the decentralization from the end of the 1990s, elections were also introduced nationwide at the level of the regions and municipalities . In these local elections, the civil courts of the first instance ( Tribunaux de Grande Instance ) are responsible for determining the eligibility of candidates, supervising the elections and publishing the results. The Niger constitution also provides for the possibility of referenda .

literature

  • Abdoulaye Mamoudou: À la conquête de la souveraineté. Les élections au Niger, 1992-1999 . Démocratie 2000, Niamey 1999.
  • Salissou Moussa: La responsabilité des commissions électorales au Niger . With a foreword by Moustapha Kadi Oumani. L'Harmattan, Paris 2017, ISBN 978-2-343-12247-2 .

Web links

Commons : Elections in Niger  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Abdourahmane Idrissa, Samuel Decalo: Historical Dictionary of Niger . 4th edition. Scarecrow, Plymouth 2012, ISBN 978-0-8108-6094-0 , pp. 306 .
  2. ^ A b Abdourahmane Idrissa, Samuel Decalo: Historical Dictionary of Niger . 4th edition. Scarecrow, Plymouth 2012, ISBN 978-0-8108-6094-0 , pp. 206 .
  3. ^ Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 7 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  4. ^ A b Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 6 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  5. ^ Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 120 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  6. ^ A b Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 47, Art. 48 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  7. ^ Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 175 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  8. ^ Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 83, Art. 84, Art. 85, Art. 86 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).
  9. ^ Constitution de la République du Niger . 2010, Art. 166 ( PDF [accessed on February 14, 2016]).