At stake
in this election:
- The constitution of the Republic of
Niger
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Description
of government structure:
- Acting Chief of State: Military Junta
Leader Major Daouda Malam WANK
- Head of Government: Prime Minister
Ibrahim Assane MAYAKI
- Parliament: Niger's unicameral
parliament, the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) consists of 83 members.
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Previous electoral system:
- In the system of government in place
before April 1999, the president is directly elected by absolute majority vote for a
five-year term.
- In the system of government in place
before April 1999, members of the National Assembly are directly elected by a mixed system
of proportional representation and simple majority vote for five-year terms.
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Description of
the referendum:
- Niger's 1996 constitution was
suspended on April 11, 1999.
- A committee appointed by the ruling
National Reconciliation Council (CRN) was charged with drafting a new constitution.
- The draft constitution presented in
the referendum will be based on a semi-presidential system of government in which
executive power would be shared between the president and the prime minister.
- The proposed system will have a prime
minister who is responsible to the parliament.
- The new constitution will include an
article granting amnesty of the leaders of the 1996 and 1999 coups.
- A majority (50%+1) of the valid votes
are required in order for the new constitution to be enacted.
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Population
and number of registered voters:
- Population: 9,671,848 (July 1998
estimate)
- Number of registered voters: 3,100,000 (approx.)
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Of Interest:
- Former President Ibrahim BARE
Mainassara was killed by his Presidential Guard and his government was overthrown in a
coup on April 11, 1999.
- Since the coup, Niger has been ruled
by a fourteen-member National Reconciliation Commission (CRN) headed by Daouda Mallam
WANKE.
- Originally scheduled for July 11, the
referendum was postponed due to debate over the constitutional model.
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| SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES) |
| For additional information:
IFES ElectionGuide Online |
