{"id":220,"date":"2009-06-27T00:41:14","date_gmt":"2009-06-27T00:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomathon.com\/mphp\/?p=220"},"modified":"2010-02-23T18:38:43","modified_gmt":"2010-02-23T23:38:43","slug":"thats-tandja-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.tomathon.com\/mphp\/2009\/06\/thats-tandja-done\/","title":{"rendered":"That’s Tandja done?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In a radio speech to the nation<\/a> on Friday night (the sabbath), President Tandja announced he was dissolving the government and would rule by decree<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Audio is here<\/a>.\u00a0 Is it me, or is Tandja sounding more and more like Franco all the time?<\/p>\n

Quick analysis:<\/p>\n

Where’s General Moumouni Boureima, Army the chief of staff? Tandja better hope he’s on his side.\u00a0 Boureima was among the offices Under Col. Wanke who saw to it that the last person who tried to rule by decree ended up dead.<\/p>\n

There’s no backing out at this point. Tandja and those who hang with him have ended — at least — their political careers with this. It sure looks, from the inability of PM Seyni Oumarou<\/a> to ever publicly endorse his bosses referendum plans, that he and others from MNSD-NASSARA<\/a> will jump ship if\/when things begin to look iffy for the new President for Life.<\/p>\n

Mahamane Ousmane<\/a>, who famously never tired when in office of describing himself as “the first democratically elected President of Niger<\/a>“, must be pleased. He jumped ship in time to look like a democrat, a “decider”, and now the only President to have ever behaved somewhat reasonably.<\/p>\n

This begins from, what I think must now be a reasonable assumption, that no Nigerien head of state will have both taken and given up power in democratic transitions. Ousmane, you’ll remember, was overthrown by coup on 27 January 1996, by Ibrahim Bar\u00e9 Ma\u00efnassara<\/a>. Ma\u00efnassara left office dead at the hands of his own guards after three years of strikes, protests, and sanctions by the Nigerien government’s foreign funders.<\/p>\n

This last is important.\u00a0 Even this morning, Ex-president of Senegal Diouf urged Tandja to remember “there is life after the palace.”\u00a0 ECOWAS leaders vowed this week that should Tandja extend his term, the landlocked nation would face sanctions.\u00a0 While the rains appear to have come in well so far this season, Niger cannot survive (literally) should Benin and Nigeria deny trade.<\/p>\n

Former President Ousmane, as I noted, was so fond of describing himself as “the first…” that people came to derisively call him “Nafarko” — Hausa for “First”. Tandja seems determined to pass up the chance to be remembered as First at something. Now he’s chosen to go out like one of his last three predecessors.<\/p>\n

Which one will it be?<\/p>\n

UPDATE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still nothing on the Army’s reaction, but I’d be watching the Route Nationale 1 coming in from the south for signs of the Zinder, Tahoua, Agadez or Diffa posted units appearing (as they did in 74 and 99).<\/p>\n

Two points: one speculative and factual.<\/p>\n

First, Le Monde hints darkly that the timing of the dissolution of the National Assembly came right after the PNDS (Social Democrat opposition) announced they would introduce legislation to investigate kickbacks from mining contracts, which the French say involved Tandja’s family.\u00a0 They are not involved in politics, and apart from his first wife being Tuareg, I know nothing about them<\/p>\n

Second, AFP misquotes the Constitutional articles relevant here (Article 58 is about Pensions).\u00a0 Below is Articles 53, 54 in English and then in the original French (plus a few other relevant articles).\u00a0 Crucially, the constitution’s writers state the President cannot dissolve the Assembly after<\/em> declaring a state of emergency, but seem not to\u00a0 have considered that the President would order a State of Emergency while<\/em> the Assembly was dissolved by decree, and so their check role (made explicit in the Constitution) is impossible to play.\u00a0 The 90 days he can operate before a mandated new Assembly are two months from running out.<\/p>\n


\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Constitution de la R\u00e9publique du Niger<\/a> \/ English Excerpts<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Article 53<\/strong><\/p>\n

After consulting with the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Court and the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the Republic shall take exceptional measures when the institutions of the Republic, the nation’s independence, its territorial integrity or the execution of international obligations are threatened by a grave and immediate danger and when the normal functioning of Constitutional public powers has been interrupted. He shall report to the nation regarding any such exceptional measures. If the National Assembly is not in session, it shall reconvene without need of sanction. Such exceptional measures must be inspired by the desire to assure to constitutionally granted public authorities those means of accomplishing their mission within the shortest period of time. In no case shall the National Assembly be dissolved during the exercise of exceptional powers. The National Assembly shall assess by an absolute majority of its members the duration of the exercise of exceptional powers and shall terminate it in case of abuse.<\/p>\n

Article 54<\/strong><\/p>\n

The President of the Republic shall have the authority to proclaim a state of emergency under conditions determined by law.<\/p>\n

\n

Article 53<\/span><\/h4>\n

Lorsque les instituons de la R\u00e9publique, l’ind\u00e9pendance de la Nation, l’int\u00e9grit\u00e9 du territoire national ou l’ex\u00e9cution des engagements internationaux sont menac\u00e9s d’une mani\u00e8re grave et imm\u00e9diate et que le fonctionnement r\u00e9gulier des pouvoirs publics constitutionnels est interrompu, le Pr\u00e9sident de R\u00e9publique prend des mesures exceptionnelles exig\u00e9es par ces circonstances apr\u00e8s consultation du Premier ministre, du Pr\u00e9sident de l’Assembl\u00e9e nationale, du Pr\u00e9sident de la Cour Constitutionnelle et du Pr\u00e9sident de la Cour Supr\u00eame.<\/p>\n

Il en informe la Nation par un message. L’Assembl\u00e9e nationale se r\u00e9unit de plein droit si elle n’est pas en session. Elle ne peut \u00eatre dissoute pendant l’exercice des pouvoirs exceptionnels.<\/p>\n

Ces mesures doivent \u00eatre inspir\u00e9es par la volont\u00e9 d’assurer aux pouvoirs publics constitutionnels, dans les moindres d\u00e9lais, les moyens d’accomplir leur mission.<\/p>\n

L’Assembl\u00e9e nationale appr\u00e9cie, \u00e0 la majorit\u00e9 absolue de ses membres la dur\u00e9e de l’exercice des pouvoirs exceptionnels et y met fin en cas d’abus.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Article 54<\/span><\/h4>\n

Le Pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique apr\u00e8s d\u00e9lib\u00e9ration du Conseil des ministres proclame l’\u00c9tat d’urgence dans les conditions d\u00e9termin\u00e9es par la loi.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Article 62<\/span><\/h4>\n

Les actes du Pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique autres que ceux pr\u00e9vus \u00e0 l’alin\u00e9a 1er de l’article 45, aux articles 49, 50, 53, 74 sont contresign\u00e9s par le Premier ministre et, le cas \u00e9ch\u00e9ant, par les ministres responsables.<\/p>\n

\"Reblog<\/a>