2010.02.20: Opposition in Niger Urges Junta to Hold Vote
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Niger:
Peace Corps Niger :
Peace Corps Niger: Newest Stories:
2010.02.20: Opposition in Niger Urges Junta to Hold Vote
Opposition in Niger Urges Junta to Hold Vote
The military overthrew President Mamadou Tandja on Thursday, raking the presidential palace with gunfire in a brazen daylight raid and whisking the ousted leader to a military barracks outside the capital. Hours later, the soldiers swiftly announced that a junta was in charge led by Salou Djibo, a little known commander of a platoon just outside the city. The coup, which left several soldiers dead when presidential guards exchanged fire with the mutineers, has been condemned by the United Nations and foreign governments. But many in the capital, at least, expressed relief that Mr. Tandja had finally been removed from office. "We're proud of our military!" screamed one woman at the rally on Saturday. Some demonstrators held up hastily made signs scrawled with the words "Long live the army." "Tandja let everything go," said Amadou Madi, a 27-year-old electrician. "He was a thief and a crook. Our military was right to remove him." The new military rulers have not said that they would hold a new election and or how long they would remain in power.
Opposition in Niger Urges Junta to Hold Vote
Opposition in Niger Urges Junta to Hold Vote
Published: February 20, 2010
Caption: People cheer and take photos of members of the military junta during a rally in Niger's capital Niamey, February 20. The United States stepped up calls for a peaceful and early transition from military to civilian rule in uranium-rich Niger where a military coup has overthrown President Mamadou Tandja.
Photo: AFP/Boureima Hama
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) - Niger's political opposition urged the new military junta on Saturday to hold elections as soon as possible and restore civilian rule after a coup ousted the country's dictatorial president.
Thousands of people rallied in support of the junta on the sun-blasted streets at a downtown traffic circle in the capital, Niamey, cramming around army trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.
"The army loves the people and will always stand beside Niger," Capt. Djibril Adamou Harouna, a leader of the junta, told the crowd. "We wanted to come here today to thank you for your support."
The junta has vowed to turn Niger into "an example of democracy," but neither Captain Harouna nor other members have said when or how they would restore civilian rule.
A delegation from the 15-nation regional bloc led by the former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, who is mediating the crisis, arrived overnight to press for a peaceful transition.
The military overthrew President Mamadou Tandja on Thursday, raking the presidential palace with gunfire in a brazen daylight raid and whisking the ousted leader to a military barracks outside the capital. Hours later, the soldiers swiftly announced that a junta was in charge led by Salou Djibo, a little known commander of a platoon just outside the city.
The coup, which left several soldiers dead when presidential guards exchanged fire with the mutineers, has been condemned by the United Nations and foreign governments. But many in the capital, at least, expressed relief that Mr. Tandja had finally been removed from office.
"We're proud of our military!" screamed one woman at the rally on Saturday. Some demonstrators held up hastily made signs scrawled with the words "Long live the army."
"Tandja let everything go," said Amadou Madi, a 27-year-old electrician. "He was a thief and a crook. Our military was right to remove him."
The new military rulers have not said that they would hold a new election and or how long they would remain in power.
Mohamed Bazoum, an opposition spokesman, said Saturday that his party had not held talks with the junta but expected to.
"We want them to organize elections as quickly as possible and restore civilian rule," he said. "It's what we all need to see."
Mr. Tandja had grown deeply unpopular here after pushing through a referendum in August that replaced the Constitution with a new one that eliminated presidential term limits, greatly increased his powers and extended his rule by three years before new elections could be held.
When Parliament and the constitutional court opposed his plan, he dissolved them and ruled by decree.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: February, 2010; Peace Corps Niger; Directory of Niger RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Niger RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers
When this story was posted in February 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: NY Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Niger; safety
PCOL45392
29