NIAMEY, (Reuters) – West Africa’s regional bloc yesterday suspended Niger in protest against what it said were flawed parliamentary elections being held there.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it would not recognise the result of the vote, which is expected to allow President Mamadou Tandja to tighten his grip on power and deepen the uranium-mining country’s constitutional crisis.
“The holding of the elections is a clear move by the authorities in Niger to further entrench the constitutional illegality currently prevailing in the country,” said a spokesman for Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua, who is ECOWAS chairman. Turnout for the election was patchy after the opposition called for a boycott of the poll.
Tandja’s second term in office was due to expire this year but he defied domestic and international pressure and extended his mandate for a further three years and increased his presidential powers at the expense of parliament’s.
“I hope for my people’s sake that those elected will be true patriots,” the retired army colonel, who says he must stay to oversee lucrative infrastructure projects, said as he voted.
