Mamadou Tandja
President of Niger | |
---|---|
In office 22 December 1999 – 18 February 2010 | |
Prime Minister | Ibrahim Hassane Mayaki Hama Amadou Seyni Oumarou Albadé Abouba (Acting) Ali Badjo Gamatié |
Preceded by | Daouda Malam Wanké (Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council) |
Succeeded by | Salou Djibo (Chairman of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1938 Lieutenant Colonel |
Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a
Tandja was of mixed Fula and Soninke ethnicity.[1] He was the first President of Niger who was not ethnically Hausa or Djerma.[2]
Following a constitutional crisis in 2009, which was caused by Tandja's efforts to remain in office beyond the originally scheduled end of his term, he was ousted by the military in a coup d'état on 18 February 2010.
Early life, 1974 coup, the Kountché regime and the MNSD
Tandja was born in
In 1991, Tandja emerged as the head of one of two powerful factions in the ruling
1993 election and subsequent events
Tandja ran for President in the elections of 1993, taking first place in the first round in February with 34.22% of the vote, but then losing to Mahamane Ousmane in the second round in March, taking 45.58% of the vote.[11] Tandja accepted the results and congratulated Ousmane.[10]
Tandja participated in an opposition protest against the government of the
1996 election
Under Maïnassara, a new presidential election was held on 7–8 July 1996, in which Tandja ran again; this time he took third place with 15.65% of the vote, behind Maïnassara with about 52% and Ousmane with about 20%, according to official results.[11] On the second day of polling he was placed under house arrest along with the other three opposition candidates and held for two weeks.[13] Following a pro-democracy demonstration on 11 January 1997, Tandja was arrested along with Ousmane and former Prime Minister Mahamadou Issoufou and held until 23 January.[14]
1999 election and first term
In April 1999, Maïnassara was assassinated and a new military government led by Major
Niger was heavily in debt and was not receiving any foreign aid due to the 1996 coup and subsequent suspension of democratic institutions. Tandja focused on economic development, negotiating with the civil service unions and with foreign donors. Many did not approve of Tandja's measures in reducing government spending. In 2001, students at the
2004 election and second term
Tandja was a candidate for re-election in the
Although there had been speculation about a possible constitutional change to enable Tandja to run again in 2009, he said in an interview with Le Monde, published on 6 October 2007, that he intended to step down at the end of his second term.[27] However, on 21 December 2008, a large rally was held in front of the National Assembly building in Niamey calling for an extension of Tandja's term by three years, so that it would end on 22 December 2012. According to supporters of this proposal—which also called for extending the mandates of the National Assembly and other institutions—a three-year extension would be beneficial to the course of Niger's development. Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou was among those taking part in the rally.[28] The opposition furiously denounced this proposal, and a large demonstration opposing the proposal was held in Niamey a few days later.[29] On 30 December 20 non-governmental organizations and unions, including the Democratic Confederation of Workers of Niger (CDTN), formed the United Front for the Safeguarding of Democratic Gains (FUSAD) in opposition to the extension proposal, and they called on Tandja—who had up to that point expressed no opinion on the matter in public—to speak out against the proposal.[30]
The relationship with the French nuclear company
2009 constitutional crisis
In the run-up to the 2009 elections (presidential, Assembly, and municipal), a movement to draft President Tandja for a third term appeared. Led by public figures of the MNSD outside government, the group took the name of Tandja's 2004 re-election slogan, Tazartché: a
Then, in early May 2009, when questioned by the press on his visit to Agadez to begin peace talks with Tuareg rebels, Tandja announced he would seek a third term, saying. "The people have demanded I remain; I cannot ignore their call."[35] His spokesman then outlined a plan in which a referendum could be held in mid-2009, not to amend the 1999 constitution, but to scrap it and begin work on a constitution of the Sixth Republic of Niger, which would contain no term limits for the President, and create a fully presidential republic.[36][37][38][39]
On 15 May 2009, in response to their parties' opposition to a proposed referendum to allow the President to seek a third term, the three members of
According to the 1999
On 26 May, within hours of the Constitutional Court's statement, official media read out a statement that Tandja had dissolved the National Assembly.[46] Under the 1999 Constitution he is allowed to do this once every two years,[47] but he must call parliamentary elections within three months. This would mean the government of Niger would carry out scheduled parliamentary elections in September, two months early, and a referendum on a new constitution before presidential elections which could have been held no later than December, assuming the 1999 constitution was in effect.
Following a ruling by the Constitutional Court, this time binding, that the referendum could not go ahead, the President released a statement on 21 June saying he would forgo the referendum, at least for the near future. But on 24 June he released a further statement, demanding the court reverse its ruling. This was immediately (the 25th) followed by a previously postponed one day general strike by seven labor confederations, and the abandonment of his government by the CDS-Rahama party of Mahamane Ousmane.[48]
On 27 June, President Tandja announced he was suspending the government and would rule by decree.[49] On 27 June, the leader of the main opposition party, Mahamadou Issoufou, denounced what he called a coup, and called on Nigeriens to resist by all legal means, citing Article 13 of the 1999 Constitution which mandates officials to ignore "manifestly illegal orders".[50]
February 2010 coup
On 18 February 2010, during a government meeting at the presidential palace, rebel soldiers attacked and deposed Tandja in a coup d'état, establishing a military junta called the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD). Tandja was believed to be held at a military barracks on the outskirts of Niamey.[51][52]
The junta kept Tandja in detention while it organized a political transition. He was held under house arrest and then moved to a prison in January 2011. Tandja's mother, having reached a very advanced age, died in March 2011.[53]
The junta held
Illness and death
Tandja suffered from an illness in his final years and travelled to France, Germany and Morocco for medical treatment. He died on 24 November 2020 in Niamey at the age of 82.[54][55]
References
- ISBN 0-8108-3136-8.: pp.299–300
- ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices — 2003: Niger, U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 25 February 2004.
- ^ "Factbox: Who is Niger's Mamadou Tandja?". Reuters. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Tandja wins second term as president in historic first for country", IRIN, 8 December 2004.
- ^ Idy Barou, "Niger's leader – haunted by hunger", BBC News, 15 August 2005.
- ^ a b c "M. Tandja Mamadou, le nouveau président du Niger" (in French). Afrique Express. 28 November 1999. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
- ^ "Oct 1979 – Government Reorganization", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 25, October 1979 Niger, Page 29884.
- ^ "Mar 1982 – Government Changes – Other Internal and External Developments", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 28, March 1982 Niger, Page 31404.
- ^ a b Myriam Gervais, "Niger: Regime Change, Economic Crisis and Perpetuation of Privilege", in Political Reform in Francophone Africa (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, pages 100–102.
- ^ a b c Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic", Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.
- ^ a b c d e f g Elections in Niger, African Elections Database.
- ^ "Niger: Harassment of government opponents has become systematic" (PDF). Amnesty International. May 1997. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Niger: A major step backwards" Archived 5 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, 16 October 1996.
- ^ "Harassment of Government Opponents has Become Systematic", Amnesty International (UNHCR.org), 1 May 1997.
- ^ "Niger: Political situation in Niger since the coup in April 1999". Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 7 June 2000. Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via Refworld.org.
- ^ La Francophonie. Archived from the original(PDF) on 18 October 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "List of deputies elected in the 1999 parliamentary election by constituency". Archived from the original on 18 July 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2011., National Assembly website (2004 archive) (in French).
- ^ Niger: Country Report on Human Rights Practices, 2000, U.S. Department of State, 23 February 2001.
- ^ "Mutineers detain prefect, mayor and other dignitaries", IRIN, 1 August 2002.
- ^ Troops put down Niger mutiny", BBC.co.uk, 9 August 2002.
- ^ "Security measures relaxed in Diffa", IRIN, 23 September 2002.
- ^ "State of alert threatens independent media – RSF", IRIN, 7 August 2002.
- ^ "RAPPORT DE LA MISSION D’OBSERVATION DES ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLES ET LEGISLATIVES DES 16 NOVEMBRE ET 4 DECEMBRE 2004" Archived 22 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, democratie.francophonie.org (in French).
- ^ "Incumbent wins Niger presidential poll", afrol News, 8 December 2004.
- ^ "Présidentielle au Niger: un quatrième parti, le RDP, soutient la candidature de Mamadou Tandja au second tour" Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Xinhua, 23 November 2004 (in French).
- ^ "Mamadou Tandja investi en présence de six chefs d'Etats africains" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), 21 December 2004 (in French).
- ^ "Le président Tandja s'engage à quitter le pouvoir en 2009", Panapress (Afriquenligne.fr), 6 October 2007 (in French).
- ^ "Nigerien mass rally calls for extension of presidential mandate" Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Xinhua, 22 December 2008.
- ^ "Thousands protest in Niger against extension of Tandja's rule", AFP, 27 December 2008.
- ^ "Niger: création d'un front contre la prolongation du mandat du président Tandja", AFP, 30 December 2008 (in French).
- ^ Burgis, Tom (14 June 2010). "Uranium: Coup alters the balance as nations jostle for position". The Financial Times.
- ^ Le Président Tandja reste muet sur les appels en faveur d’une prolongation de son mandat. APA 19 December 2008
- Bloomberg news. 22 January 2009.
- ^ Niger : « Je suis prêt à partir à la fin de mon mandat », affirme le Président nigérien. APA 28 Mars 2009 11:34
« je ne cherche pas un autre mandat. Donc je suis très clair là-dessus, je n’ai demandé à aucun nigérien si on peut faire ceci ou cela. Jamais, et je n’ai jamais demandé quoi que ce soit pour changer la constitution nigérienne ou à y chercher des modifications » - ^ Le président de la République Mamadou Tandja: «Le peuple demande que je reste, je ne peux pas rester insensible à son appel.». LE TEMOIN 04 – 8 May 2009.
- ^ Chronogramme Tazartché: Bonus de 3 ans pour Tandja, Elections locales et législatives en 2009, Elections présidentielles (auxquelles Tandja pouvait participer) en 2012. LE TEMOIN du 11 au 15 mai 2009
- ^ ANNONCE DU RÉFÉRENDUM Le planning du Tazartché Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.
- ^ RÉFÉRENDUM CONSTITUTIONNEL Une présidence à vie s'annonce ! Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.
- ^ ALa Cedeao contre la réforme constitutionnelle prévue au Niger Archived 19 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Deutsche Welle. 15 May 2009.
- ^ Remaniement gouvernemental au Niger, nouveau ministre de la Justice. AFP 15 May 2009
- ^ Niger court says third-term referendum unlawful. Reuters. 26 May 2009
- ^ La Cour constitutionnelle du Niger s’oppose au projet de changement de constitution Archived 4 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine APA News. 25 May 2009.
- ^ Le principal parti allié de Tandja contre son projet de référendum Archived 19 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. AFP 15 May 2009.
- CDS-Rahama. 15 May 2009.
- ^ Ousmane et Djermokoye espèrent toujours l’ouverture des négociations avec Tandja . LE TEMOIN du 11 au 15 mai 200
- ^ Niger's Tandja dissolves parliament. Reuters. 26 May 2009
- ^ 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).
- ^ Niger president rules by decree after court snub. Reuters. Fri 26 June 2009
- ^ Emergency powers for Niger leader. BBC. 26 June 2009.
- ^ Niger opposition accuses president of coup. Sat 27 June 2009
- ^ Military coup ousts Niger president, BBC News, 18 February 2010.
- ^ Niger soldiers go on state TV to confirm coup – Yahoo! News
- ^ a b Clarisse Juompan-Yakam, "Niger : la nouvelle vie de Mamadou Tandja", Jeune Afrique, 26 May 2011 (in French).
- ^ "Niger ex-President Tandja, toppled after extending rule, dies at 82". Reuters. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ Mamane, Dalatou (24 November 2020). "Niger's former President Mamadou Tandja dies at age 82". ABC News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.