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-the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); Prime Minister Ibrahim MAYAKI (since 27 November 1997) was appointed by the president; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government 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 November 1996 (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'Appel
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,
MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, 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