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
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 Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - President is chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ibraham BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - President is chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Amadou Boubacar CISSE (since 21 December 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by President BARE elections : the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last election 7-8 July 1996 (next election NA 2001); note - Ibrahim BARE Mainassara initially became president when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup on 27 January 1996 and subsequently defeated him in the flawed election of July 1996 election results: percent of total vote - Ibrahim BARE Mainassara 52.22%, Mahamane OUSMANE 19.75%, Tandja MAMADOU 15.65%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 7.60%, Moumouni AMADOU Djermakoye 4.77%
Legislative branch: two chamber National Assembly; one chamber with 83 seats directly elected by proportional representation for five-year terms; selection process for second chamber not established elections: last held 23 November1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIRD 59, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 8, UDPS-Amana 3, coalition of independents 3, MDP-Alkwali 1, UPDP-Shamuwa 4, DARAJA 3, PMT-Albarka 2
Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Apel
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or
ADP-AUMUNCI [Issoufou BACHARD, chairman]; DARAJA [Ali TALBA,
chairman]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama
[Mahamane OUSMANE]; Movement for Development and Pan-Africanism or
MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR, chairman]; National Movement of the
Development Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU,
chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Revival or
UNIRD [leader NA]; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally or
PPN-RDA [Dori ABDOULAI]; Niger Social Democrat Party or PADN [Malam
Adji WAZIRI]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or
PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and
Social Progress-Zaman Lahia or ANDPS-Zaman Lahia [Moumouni Adamou
DJERMAKOYE]; PMT-Albarka; Union for Democracy and Social
Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Akoli DAOUEL]; Union of Patriots,
Democrats, and Progressives-Shamuwa or UPDP-Shamuwa [Professor Andre'
SALIFOU, chairman]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and
Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY, chairman]
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, NAM,
OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO