Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NIAMEY520
2009-07-15 20:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Niamey
Cable title:  

Niger's Lawyers Engage in Nation-wide Strike

Tags:  PGOV KDEM SOCI NG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8390
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0520 1962002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 152002Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5192
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
UNCLAS NIAMEY 000520 

DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA
PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W
ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NG
SUBJECT: Niger's Lawyers Engage in Nation-wide Strike

Ref: Niamey 00517

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000520

DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA
PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W
ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NG
SUBJECT: Niger's Lawyers Engage in Nation-wide Strike

Ref: Niamey 00517


1. On July 13, Niger's Bar Association observed a one-day strike to
protest against President's Tandja's decision to dissolve the
Constitutional Court and to assume emergency powers. Attorneys
stayed away from their offices and the courts, effectively stopping
judicial proceedings nation-wide. This followed the July 11
statement of the Bar Association in which it denounced President
Tandja's recourse to emergency powers as illegal, and declared that,
"no provision of the fundamental text confers competence to the head
of state to erect himself as an original constituent power and to
suspend to his liking of Article 103 through 115 of the Constitution
relating to the Constitutional Court."


2. The Bar Association praised the independence and courage of the
dissolved Constitutional Court's members and pointed out that the
nomination of one of its members on "a jurisdiction that has no
legal existence in Niger's judiciary," referring to a court
appointed by President Tandja, did not commit the Bar Association to
agreeing with President Tandja's political maneuverings. The Bar
Association called on ECOWAS, the AU, and the international
community "to use their influence to defeat any attempts to deny
constitutional legality and the rule of law in Niger."


3. On July 14, the president of Niger's Bar Association noted that
the July 13 movement was "not a strike, because we are
self-employed. We just decided to lay down our robes for a while in
order to show our support for the rule of law, without which we
would be jobless...No, we sent a strong signal to the government
against the unbearable violations of the law. It is an outcry for
the defense of democracy."

ALLEN