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 TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (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
cabinet: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: TANDJA Mamadou elected president; percent of vote
- TANDJA Mamadou 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-Zaman Lahiya or
ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for
Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou
ISSOUFOU]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or
UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]