Niger/Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger

Data code: NG

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]? 1960 (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 held under the nine-month provisional government of Major [Daouda Mallam WANKE]?
cabinet: 24-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 60%, [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]? 40%

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 Lahia 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]; Movement for Development and Progress-Alkwali or MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR, chairman]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU, chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Renewal or UNIRD [Moutari MOUSSA]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Democratic Front-Mutunci or FDN-Mutunci [Ide OUMAROU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Social Democrat Party-Alheri or PSDN-Alheri [Malam Adji WAZIRI]; Party for People's Dignity-Daraja or PDP-Daraja [Ali TALBA, chairman]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Mohamed ABDULLAHI]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY]; Workers' Movement Party-Albarka or PMT-Albarka [Omar Idi ANGO]

International organization participation: ACCT?, ACP?, AfDB?, CCC?, ECA?, ECOWAS?, Entente, FAO, FZ?, G-77?, IAEA, IBRD?, ICAO, ICFTU?, ICRM?, IDA?, IDB?, IFAD?, IFC?, IFRCS?, ILO, IMF, Intelsat?, Interpol?, IOC, ITU, MIPONUH?, NAM?, OAU?, OIC?, OPCW?, UN, UNCTAD?, UNESCO, UNIDO?, UPU, WADB?, WAEMU?, WCL?, WFTU?, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO?, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barbro OWENS-KIRKPATRICK
embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey?
mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey
telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
FAX: [227] 73 31 67

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band