Niger - municipal elections

Opposition boycotts Niger council elections

Article published on the 2009-12-27 Latest update 2009-12-27 16:36 TU

An opposition demonstration earlier this month
(Photo: AFP)

Opposition parties in Niger have called for a boycott of Sunday's local council elections. President Mamadou Tandja claims that they are advancing democracy.

"We want these elections, the last of 2009, to pass off well so as Niger's democracy can go forward," Tandja declared on national radio on the morning of the vote.

But the coalition of opposition parties, the Co-ordniation of Democratic Forces for the Republic (CFDR), called for a massive boycott, claiming that Tandja has organised the poll "unilaterally" and wants "puppet institutions".

Niger has been suffering political crisis since August's adoption of a new constitution, which the opposition claimed was not valid. The new text prolonged his term of office by three years.

Legislative elections were held in October.

On 8 December a delegation from Niger told the European Union's officials that the authorities would consider putting off the municipal poll but the vote has gone ahead.