Government of Niger
Judiciary |
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The government of Niger is the apparatus through which authority functions and is exercised: the governing apparatus of Nigerien state. The current system of governance, since the Constitution of 25 November 2010, is termed the
National government, has, since 1999, been supplemented by locally elected officials, who in turn choose representatives at the Departmental and Regional levels. Prior to 1999, these levels of government had always been appointed by the central government.
Central governance is carried out by professional administrative agencies, directed by the
Constitution
The constitution of December 2009 was revised by national
Executive branch
The
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland | Abdourahamane Tchiani | Niger Armed Forces | 26 July 2023 – Present |
Prime Minister
|
Ali Lamine Zeine | 8 August 2023 – Present |
The Constitution of the Fifth Republic differs from that of the Third by giving greater powers to the President. The Third Republic faced intractable political crisis having found itself in 1995 in a "Cohabitation": a Prime Minister and President of different parties which were unable to forge a working consensus.[4][5] The Fifth Republic resembles the Semi-Presidential system seen in the French Fifth Republic.[6][7]
Ministries of Niger
Executive power is exercised through Ministerial appointment, made by the President of the Republic and authorised by the National Assembly. Ministers are seated in the
Legislative branch
The
The National Assembly has oversight of the executive in voting legislation, override of Presidential veto, vote of no-confidence of the Prime Minister, and the reserved right to nominate the Prime Minister. As well, the Assembly has recourse to publicly investigate the executive through Committee Hearings, Hearing in plenary sittings, Commissions of inquiry, formal parliamentary questions, "Question time", and Interpellations. There is no formal parliamentary Ombudsman oversight of government.[9][10]
Judicial branch
Niger's independent judicial system is composed of four higher courts – the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, the High Court of Justice and the Court of State Security.
Other high government bodies
The 1999 constitution, as well as law since that date, created a number of government bodies. These are executive bodies, but which answer to both the National Assembly and the Presidency in varying degrees. For instance, the Nigerien National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties is constitutionally mandated to be independent of all other bodies, reports to the president, and through later law has each member mandated to be chosen by a different non-governmental body (For instance, Human Rights commissions, Press unions, Legal professional organisations) and then approved by the President. Members tend to serve fixed terms and cannot be dismissed by other government officials. The rules for oversight, term, nomination, and approval of members of these bodies is different for each.
- Council of the Republic: a constitutionally mandated body made up of heads of each of the high courts, the high government bodies set out in the 1999 constitution, the President, Prime Minister, and President of the National Assembly. Originally created in the 1996 constitution as a rump upper legislative house, under the constitution of the Fifth Republic it may be called to govern in times of crisis, or to mediate political disputes. (The Mediator of the Republic was later created to take over this second function.) The Council met for the first time in June 2009.[11]
- Its head sits on the Council of the Republic.
- Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) First created in at the beginning of the Third Republic of Niger to oversee elections, each of its seats are nominated by government or professional bodies fixed by law and approved by the President of Niger. Its dissolution in the run up to the post-coup 1996 elections caused a political crisis which led most political parties to boycott elections in the short lived Fourth Republic of Niger.
- Mediator of the Republic: established in 2008 to be a standing authority which could moderate disagreements in the implementation and interpretation of laws and regulations. The president appoints the mediator, who is an independent administrative authority charged with investigating citizens' complaints and trying to find amicable solutions.
- High Council for Communication: tasked by the constitution with ensuring access to the press and fairness in reporting, each seat is nominated by a press, human rights, or government body, and approved by the President. It has the power to sanction, close, or fine press outlets. Its head sits on the Council of the Republic.
- The High Council of Territorial Collectives (Haut Conseil des Collectivités Territoriales HCCT), a consultative representative body of local elected officials. These representatives are then indirectly elected to bodies at the Departmental and Regional levels, before choosing representatives to this national body, which meets yearly in Niamey.
- Association of Traditional Chiefs of Niger: a representative body drawn from the officially recognized traditional rulers of the pre-colonial states and localities. Its President sits on the Council of the Republic.
- Economic, Social, and Cultural Council of Niger. Its head sits on the Council of the Republic.
Administrative divisions
The country is currently divided into eight Regions: Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder and Niamey (a capital district of coequal authority to a Region). These Regions are subdivided into 36 Departments. Administrative powers are also distributed among 265 communes.
Current administrative structure
The Regions are subdivided into
Restructuring
Prior to the devolution program on 1999–2006, these Regions were styled Departments. Confusingly, the next level down (Arrondissements) were renamed Departments.[16]
1992 division
Tillabéri department was created in 1992, when
Historical evolution
Prior to independence, Niger was divided into sixteen Cercles as second level administration divisions: Agadez, Birni N'Konni, Dogondoutchi, Dosso, Filingué, Gouré, Madaoua, Magaria, Maradi, N'Guigmi, Niamey, Tahoua, Téra, Tessaoua, Tillabéry, and Zinder. Their capitals had the same names as the cercle.
After independence, the 31 December 1961 Law of territorial organization created 31 circonscriptions. The 16 colonial cercles continued to exist, and served as a level of division above these circonscriptions. Four cercles (Dogondoutchi, Filingué, N'Guigmi, and Téra) had only one circonscription. The Law of August 14, 1964 then reorganized the country into seven departments, adopting the French second level administration naming system, in contrast to neighbor Mali, which retained the colonial Cercles and Regions.
Enforcement and force
The civilian central government of Niger maintains a monopoly on force within its borders. Both the
Foreign Affairs
Foreign relations are carried out by the President, as Head of State, as well as through the
International organization participation
Niger is a member of the following organizations:
.See also
References
- ^ NIGER, Assemblée nationale. Inter-Parliamentary Union (2008)
- ^ Elgie, Robert. Variations on a Theme. Journal of Democracy: Volume 16, Number 3, July 2005, pp. 98-112
- ^ Matthew Søberg Shugart. Semi-Presidential Systems: Dual Executive and Mixed Authority Patterns Archived 19 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine. School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. University of California, San Diego (September 2005).
- ^ ROBERT ELGIE AND IAIN McMENAMIN. Semi-presidentialism and Democratic Performance Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. School of Law and Government, Dublin City University
- ^ Robert Elgie. TWO CHEERS FOR SEMI-PRESIDENTIALISM Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Government and International Studies at Dublin City University, Ireland
- ^ Davis, John Uniack. Kossomi, Aboubacar B. Niger Gets Back on Track. Journal of Democracy: Volume 12, Number 3, July 2001, pp. 80-87
- ^ Linda Kirschke. Semipresidentialism and the Perils of Power-Sharing in Neopatrimonial States. Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 40, No. 11, 1372-1394 (2007)
- ^ African Elections Database: Niger. 9 June 2007
- ^ Riccardo Pelizzo, Rick Stapenhurst. Tools for Legislative Oversight: An Empirical Investigation. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3388, September 2004
- ^ NIGER: PARLINE database entry on Assemblée nationale (National Assembly). Inter-Parliamentary Union (2008).
- ^ "Niger elections set for Aug 20: poll commission", AFP, 19 June 2009.
- ^ Niger:Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2001. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 4 March 2002
- ^ Niger:Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2008. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 25 February 2009
- ^ Loi 2001-23, Article 6
- FAO.
- ^
- Mbaye Mbengue FAYE, Faria Ibrahim GESTION DES DECHETS ISSUS DES SOINS DE SANTE (DISS):RAPPORT PROVISOIRE, World Bank, Niamey, Décembre 2001.
- FONDS AFRICAIN DE DEVELOPPEMENT: ETUDE DE MOBILISATION DES EAUX DANS LA REGION DE MARADI NIGER[permanent dead link]. DEPARTEMENT AGRICULTURE ET DEVELOPPEMENT RURAL, OCAR. African Development Bank Group, MARCH 2003
- ACCORD ÉTABLISSANT UNE PAIX DÉFINITIVE ENTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU NIGER ET L?ORGANISATION DE LA RÉSISTANCE ARMÉE (O. R. A.[permanent dead link]
- ^ According to Statsoid Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine: "~1992: Tillabéry Region/department split from Niamey (whose FIPS code was NG05 before the change). Status of Niamey changed from department to capital district."
External links
- http://www.presidence.ne/ President of Niger.
- http://www.assemblee.ne/ National Assembly of Niger.
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080323120209/http://www.communication-gouv-niger.ne/ Government communications office of Niger.
- CIA World Factbook – Niger.
- (in French) NIGER. Situation institutionnelle. Sory Baldé, CEAN, IEP-Université Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV.
- US State Department – Niger Background Notes.
- http://www.presidence.ne/ President of Niger
- http://www.assemblee.ne/ National Assembly of Niger
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080323120209/http://www.communication-gouv-niger.ne/ Government communications office of Niger.
- French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Niger information.
- World Bank "Doing Business reports": Niger Law Library.
- United States Library of Congress: Guide to Republic of Niger Law Online.
- Droit-Afrique: Niger legal library.
- Droit Francophone:Niger, from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.