Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Niger

conventional short form: Niger

local long form: Republique du Niger

local short form: Niger

Government type: republic

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular -
departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez,
Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1958 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution: the constitution of January 1993 was revised by
national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18
July 1999

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since
22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government

head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December
1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was
appointed by the president and shares some executive
responsibilities with the president

note: President Ibrahim BARE was assassinated on 9 April 1999;
subsequent elections were held under the nine-month provisional
government of Major Daouda Mallam WANKE

cabinet: 23-member cabinet appointed by President TANDJA

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: Mamadou TANDJA elected president; percent of vote
- Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members
elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
MNSD-Nassara 38, CDS-Rahama 17, PNDS-Tarayya 16, RDP-Jama'a 8,
ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4

Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour
d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a
or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social
Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National
Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou
TANDJA, chairman]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social
Progress