NIGER: OPPOSITION LEADERS BRIEF AMBASSADOR ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 001025 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF, AF/W, AF/RSA, AND INR/AA ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU- J MAYBURY PARIS FOR AF WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL SOCIA PHUM US NG SUBJECT: NIGER: OPPOSITION LEADERS BRIEF AMBASSADOR ON PROPOSAL FOR A POLITICAL TRANSITION REF: A. NIAMEY 1013 ¶B. NIAMEY 1011 ¶C. NIAMEY 1009 ¶D. NIAMEY 935 ¶E. NIAMEY 633 Classified By: DCM Eric P. Whitaker, Reason: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: On December 30, Opposition leaders briefed Ambassador Allen of their proposal for a way out from Niger's political standoff. The proposal calls for a return to the 1999 Constitution; the formation of a transitional political body; the consensual drafting of a new constitution, electoral code, and electoral calendar; the setting aside of political actions subsequent to the August 4, 2009 referendum (the post-December 22, 2009 presidency, the National Assembly elections of October 20, 2009, and the local elections of December 27, 2009); and the formation of a Government of National Unity. The Opposition leaders thanked the Ambassador for USG support for democracy in Niger, stating it had helped "galvanize public opinion." End summary. ¶2. (C) On December 30, Coordination des Forces pour la Democratie et la Republique (CFDR) President Amadou Boubacar Cisse and opposition Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) Vice President Bazoum Mohamed provided Ambassador Allen and DCM with an update on the ongoing political negotiations between the political Opposition and the Government of Niger (GON) (refs B and C) and the Opposition's proposal to resolve the nation's political dilemma. Although negotiations were postponed until January 7 due to ECOWAS Mediator retired General and former Nigerian head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar's travel to Nigeria for former Nigerian First Lady Babangida,s funeral rites, the CFDR continues to prepare itself for the resumption of talks in Niamey. It has drawn up a detailed proposal and submitted it to Mediator Abdulsalami, per his request (ref A). CFDR's Proposals to End Political Impasse -------------- ¶3. (C) Cisse provided Amb. Allen with the Opposition's six-page proposal for resolving the political crisis. In the document, the CFDR proposes the following steps to resolve the ongoing political standoff, which it refers to as a "coup of institutional force": ¶A. Returning to the normal constitutional order; that is, of ;the 5th Republic; ¶B. Putting into place a consensual transitional body that gives the nation and its people a final chance to retake its place among the community of nations; ¶C. Working together in the framework of ECOWAS mediation to draft a new constitution, as was done in 1992, 1996, and 1999; ¶D. Setting aside the constitution of the 6th Republic and its political and institutional consequences, including recognizing the end of the presidential mandate following December 22, 2009, annulling the mandate of the National Assembly resulting from the October 20, 2009 elections; and annulling the local elections of December 27, 2009; ¶E. Elaborating and submitting for vote a referendum by the transitional body on a consensual constitution, electoral code, and electoral calendar by which to conduct elections at the presidential, legislative, and local levels; ¶F. Formulating transitional institutions to be filled by individuals selected in a consensual manner, to include: (1) A Head of State with representational powers; (2) A Government of National Unity that regroups the various parties within the political landscape and civil society and led by a Prime Minister who serves as both Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; (3) A Transitional Council that regroups political and civil society representatives with legislative powers; (4) A new Constitutional Court composed of individuals NIAMEY 00001025 002 OF 002 recognized for their impartiality; (5) A Commission of Fundamental Texts charged with drafting the future Constitution, as well as a new Electoral Code; (6) A new Independent National Electoral Commission; and (7) A new High Council of Communication composed by individuals recognized for their impartiality. ¶G. Accepting that the heads of the various transitional institutions cannot present themselves as candidates for the subsequent presidential elections. USG Position Important, CFDR to Take Case to Media -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Bazoum thanked Amb. Allen for the "strong position" of both President Obama and the Department of State on Niger's political standoff. Cisse noted that the USG position on the political situation is "extremely important, and that it served to "galvanize public opinion." Between now and January 7 the CFDR plans neither to organize strikes nor demonstrations, respecting the request of the ECOWAS Mediator, but rather plans to state its position and proposals to the media. While he remarked that the presence of Opposition leaders Hama Amadou, Mahamadou Issoufou, and Mahamane Ousmane would strengthen the CFDR's hand, he felt that "personality-driven8 negotiations, could prove a distraction. He added that &personality conflicts" made it unlikely that the GON would welcome their presence in the negotiations. Regarding complaints of some in the civil society community that they had been excluded from what was to have been an "inclusive" process, Bazoum noted that 11 of the 25-member negotiating team were either civil society members, including from the Front for the Defense of Democracy (FDD),or union representatives in what he termed a broad "palette" of society. ECOWAS to Report to AU; A Possible Role for Pres. Wade -------------- --- ¶5. (C) In closing, Cisse said that ECOWAS intended to continue its evaluation and render a report to the African Union (AU) in January. He opined that AU Chair Qadhafy might request Senegalese President Wade's assistance in mediating a solution to Niger's political conundrum; the support of the USG and the EU might be helpful in this regard. Finally, he noted that states such as Sierra Leone and Ghana might play helpful roles within the ECOWAS mediation process. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) Both Cisse and Bazoum seemed optimistic that the GON would have to negotiate the terms under which the current political equation would be solved. They clearly see the Opposition as playing a necessary and vital role in Niger's political near-term future and the eventual restoration of its side-tracked democracy. Bazoum, who called on Ambassador Allen in both September and November of 2009 (refs D and E), remains an insightful and open interlocutor regarding Opposition views and intentions. ALLEN