Nigerien parliamentary election, 1995

A parliamentary election was held in Niger on 12 January 1995. The last election of the Third Republic of Niger, they were called following a split in the ruling coalition, but resulted in a government divided between the party of the President and an opposition coalition holding the National Assembly and the post of Prime Minister. The ensuing stalemate was a contributing factor to the coup which overthrew the regime on 27 January 1996.

Background

The elections were prompted by the fall of the AFC government, after the party of Prime Minister Mahamadou Issoufou, PNDS-Tarayya, moved from the ruling coalition into opposition. President Mahamane Ousmane appointed Souley Abdoulaye as Prime Minister, but he resigned on 16 October 1994 after failing to create a new ruling coalition which could stand up to a confidence vote in the Assembly. Ousmane called a new election for the National Assembly.

Results

The electoral landscape remained largely unchanged from the 1993 elections. MNSD-Nassara won a plurality of votes, and with its new parliamentary ally and third place finisher—the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism—forming a parliamentary bloc of 29+12(41) of 83 seats, opposed to 38 seats held by the remaining AFC coalition members. The addition of three smaller parties added 4 seats, and assured a majority of 45.[1]

Political effects

The new National Assembly resulted in a divided government ("cohabitation") with the opposition forming the new ruling coalition, and the MNSD-Nassara's Hama Amadou becoming Prime Minister. This finally reversed the unstable post-dictatorship alliance of the AFC, which had been based upon keeping the MNSD, the former military government party, out of power. The center-right MNSD and the left PNDS formed an otherwise unlikely alliance based on each's conflict with the President.[2] The inability of the president and this new government to work together resulted in government gridlock. This was one of the stated reasons for the 27 January 1996 Nigerien coup d'état which brought the military government of Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara to power.[3]


 Summary of the 15 January 1995 National Assembly of Niger election results
Parties Votes % Seats contested Seats won
National Movement for the Development of Society (Mouvement National de la Societé de Développement-Nassara) 29
Democratic and Social Convention (Convention démocratique et sociale-Rahama)† 24
Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (Parti Nigerien pour la Democratie et le Socialisme) 12
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress (Alliance nigérienne pour la démocratie et le progrès-Zaman Lahiya)† 9
Party for National Unity and Development–Salama (PUND–Salama)† 3
Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana (UDPS-Amana) 2
Niger Social Democratic Party-Alheri (PSDN-Alheri)† 2
Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA) 1
Union for Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua (UPDP-Chamoua) 1
Total   83 83
Sources:[1][4] †= AFC coalition

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 International Parliamentary Union: NIGER Parliamentary Chamber: Assemblée nationale ELECTIONS HELD IN 1995
  2. ↑ Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic", Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.
  3. ↑ Kaye Whiteman, "Obituary: Ibrahim Bare Mainassara", The Independent (London), April 12, 1999.
  4. ↑ African Elections Database 12 January 1995 National Assembly Election.