Niger president wins third term bid

  1. Posted on Saturday 8 August 2009 - 14:00
    Murtala
    Image of Murtala
    Murtal Mohammed Kamara, AfricaNews reporter in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    Niger President Mamadou Tandja has won his bid for a third term in a referendum amidst protests. Tandja won 92% of the election and therefore allows him to amend the constitution and stay for another term of office. Opposition say the 68% turnout was false.
    Tandja
    According to the opposition parties only 4% of the population took part in that election.

    Tandja’s bid to stay in power at all cost has come under sharp criticism by the international communities and donor communities. The European Union which is the country's highest donor body has suspended aid payment to that country and warned of “serious consequences” for its cooperation with Niger if the President proceeds with his plan but the 71-year-old leader argued that he needs more time to finish his multi-billion-dollar projects such as a uranium mine, an oil refinery and a dam on the River Niger, according to a BBC report.

    In his bid to stay in power at all cost, the Nigerien President suspends parliament and the country’s constitution.

    The West African state has the world's largest uranium deposit but remains one of the world’s poorest nations on earth but Tandja’s supporters say living standard in that country has improve during the last ten year.

Reactions

  1. Posted on Monday 10 August 2009 20:51
    polytikalanymal
    Image of polytikalanymal


    1 berichten
    Lid sinds August 2009

    1. Please use spell check. "oppoasiton" should have been "opposition"
    2. Please proof read. "the 71 old leader" should have been "the 71 YEAR old leader"
    3. Niger is not "tiny". It is the 6th largest country on the continent and the 29th largest country in the world, in terms of land area. And even in terms of population, over 13 million people is hardly "tiny".
  2. Posted on Tuesday 11 August 2009 13:40
    AfricaNews editor
    Image of AfricaNews editor


    4,156 berichten
    Lid sinds July 2007

    Many thanks for pointing out those corrections to us. We have effected them. Keep reading.

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