Niger: Ruling Party Gains Majority in National Assembly

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000834 DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA; PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU - J MAYBURY PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI PHUM NG SUBJECT: Niger: Ruling Party Gains Majority in National Assembly Elections Ref: Niamey 00830 ¶1. On October 24, the President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI),Moumouni Hamidou, announced the final results from the October 20 National Assembly elections. The ruling party, the National Movement for a Society of Development (MNSD), won 76 out of the 113 parliamentary seats. Hamidou added that 51.27 per cent of the 6 million registered voters participated in the elections. The Constitutional Court has 15 days to review and validate the results. ¶2. Five parties aligned with MNSD won 25 seats, while 11 seats went to independent candidates. The Party Nigerien pour l'Autogestion (PNA),one of three opposition parties participating in the election, won one seat. This majority in parliament gives President Tandja and the MNSD resounding control of the legislature. ¶3. While the MNSD expressed satisfaction with the landslide win, smaller parties and independent candidates complained about election irregularities. The Social Democratic Rally (RSD) lodged a complaint with the Constitutional Court to seek redress regarding contested seats it claimed to have won in various constituencies, especially in Maradi. Opposition parties under the Coordination of Forces for Democracy and the Republic (CFDR),boycotted the election,claimed a poor voter turnout and downplayed the results. The opposition labeled the elections a "shameful" non-event, and alleged a gross inflation of election figures. ¶4. Observers to the parliamentary election, included: -- Mission d'Observation Electorale de la Diaspora Africaine; -- Coordination de la Mission Electorale de la Societe Civile Africaine (COMOES-CA); -- Plan International pour la Democratie et la Paix en Afrique (PIDPA); -- Coordination des Observateurs Internationaux Africains; and -- Observatoire Independant d'Ethique et d'Education Electorale pour la Paix et le Developpement (OIEEPD-Ingantchi) - Niger. ¶5. On October 22, COMOES-CA said the elections were "free, transparent, credible, and democratic." PIDPA welcomed the administration of the election, while the Coordination des Observateurs Internationaux Africains praised the "regularity and transparence of the vote." ¶6. Comment: Although there was no doubt the MNSD would win most National Assembly seats, due to a widespread opposition boycott, the CENI-claimed turnout of over 52 percent seems artificially high. To the Embassy's knowledge, none of the observer groups have monitored any prior election in Niger. Reportedly, the GON invited some groups to monitor the polls. End comment. ALLEN