Sat, 12 Mar 2011
Nairobi/Niamey - The second round of a presidential poll intended to restore democracy to Niger after a year of military rule was underway Saturday in the West African country.
Voters in the mineral-rich country were choosing between opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou and former prime minister Seini Oumarou.
Issoufou, who won 36 per cent in the first round of voting in February, is considered the favorite going into the run-off, especially since other opposition candidates who did not make the cut in the first poll have urged their followers to throw their support behind Issoufou.
Issoufou's campaign has focused on the theme that it is time for change in Niger.
Oumarou, who got 23 per cent in the first round of voting, has long been a member of the party of Mamadou Tandja, who was removed from power in a military coup in early 2010.
Niger's military overthrew Tandja after he attempted to dissolve parliament and the constitutional court in an effort to force through constitutional changes that would have allowed him a third term.
Coup leaders said from the start that they wanted to limit the duration of military rule and supported a return to democracy.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371384,voting-niger-presidential-elections.html.
Nairobi/Niamey - The second round of a presidential poll intended to restore democracy to Niger after a year of military rule was underway Saturday in the West African country.
Voters in the mineral-rich country were choosing between opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou and former prime minister Seini Oumarou.
Issoufou, who won 36 per cent in the first round of voting in February, is considered the favorite going into the run-off, especially since other opposition candidates who did not make the cut in the first poll have urged their followers to throw their support behind Issoufou.
Issoufou's campaign has focused on the theme that it is time for change in Niger.
Oumarou, who got 23 per cent in the first round of voting, has long been a member of the party of Mamadou Tandja, who was removed from power in a military coup in early 2010.
Niger's military overthrew Tandja after he attempted to dissolve parliament and the constitutional court in an effort to force through constitutional changes that would have allowed him a third term.
Coup leaders said from the start that they wanted to limit the duration of military rule and supported a return to democracy.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/371384,voting-niger-presidential-elections.html.
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