flag — Niger
Nation by Nation
Niger
Government
Government
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger
etymology: named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"
note: pronounced nee-zhair Government type
semi-presidential republic Capital
geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: according to tradition, the site was originally a fishing village named after a prominent local tree referred to as "nia niam" Administrative divisions
7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communaute urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder Independence
3 August 1960 (from France) National holiday
Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960 Constitution
history: several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; consideration of amendments requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires at least four-fifths majority vote; if disapproved, the proposed amendment is dropped or submitted to a referendum; constitutional articles on the form of government, the multiparty system, the separation of state and religion, disqualification of Assembly members, amendment procedures, and amnesty of participants in the 2010 coup cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2017 Legal system
mixed legal system of civil law, based on French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Niger
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: unknown Suffrage
18 years of age; universal Executive branch
chief of state: President Mohamed BAZOUM (since 2 April 2021)
head of government: Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou MAHAMADOU (since 3 April 2021)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 December 2020 with a runoff held on 21 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister appointed by the president, authorized by the National Assembly
election results: 2020/2021: percent of vote in first round - Mohamed BAZOUM (PNDS-Tarrayya) 39.3%, Mahamane OUSMANE (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 9%, Albade ABOUDA (MPR-Jamhuriya) 7.1%, other 27.6%; percent of vote in second round - Mohamed BAZOUM (PNDS-Tarrayya) 55.7%, Mahamane OUSMANE (RDR Tchanji) 44.3%
2016: ISSOUFOU Mahamadou reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (PNDS-Tarrayya) 48.6%, Hama AMADOU (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17.8%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 11.3%, other 22.3%; percent of vote in second round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou 92%, Hama AMADOU 8% Legislative branch
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - l seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 December 2020 (next scheduled in December 2025)
election results: percent of vote by party - percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37.04%, MODEN/FA Lumana 8.71%, MPR-Jamhuriya 7.59%, MNSD-Nassara 6.77%, RDR-Tchanji 4.41%, CPR-Inganci 4.15%, MPN-Kishin Kassa 3.97%, PJP Generation Dubara 2.88%, ANDP Zaman Lahya 2.46%, RPP Farrilla 2.10%, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 1.74%, AMEN AMIN 1.43%, MDEN Falala 1.42%, other 15.33%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 79, MODEN/FA Lumana 19, MPR-Jamhuriya 14, MNSD-Nassara 13, CPR-Inganci 8, MPN-Kishin Kassa 6, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 3, RPP Farrilla 2, PJP Generation Dubara 2, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 2, AMEN AMIN 2, other 16; composition - men 123, women 43, percent of women 25.9% Judicial branch
highest court(s): Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members)
judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges nominated/elected - 1 by the president of the Republic, 1 by the president of the National Assembly, 2 by peer judges, 2 by peer lawyers, 1 law professor by peers, and 1 from within Nigerien society; all appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms
subordinate courts: Court of Cassation; Council of State; Court of Finances; various specialized tribunals and customary courts Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Democracy and the Republic Alliance for Democratic Renewal or ARD-Adaltchi-Mutuntchi [Laouan MAGAGI] Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger or AMEN AMIN [Omar Hamidou TCHIANA] Congress for the Republic or CPR-Inganci [Maradi Kassoum MOCTAR] Democratic Alternation for Equity in Niger Democratic and Republican Renewal-RDR-Tchanji [Mahamane OUSMANE] Democratic Movement for the Emergence of Niger National Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Seini OUMAROU] Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moussa Hassane BARAZE] Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana [Hama AMADOU] Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU] Nigerien Patriotic Movement or MPN-Kishin Kassa [Ibrahim YACOUBA] Nigerien Rally for Democracy and Peace Patriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya [Albade ABOUBA] Peace, Justice, Progress–Generation Doubara Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID] Rally for Peace and Progress Social Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Amadou CHEIFFOU] Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira [Sanoussi MAREINI]
note 1: only parties with seats in the National Assembly are listed
note 2: the SPLM and SPLM-DC are banned political parties
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