Editing History of Niger (section)

==1974 to 1990==
[[Image:Niger soldier-89-07307.JPEG|thumb|left|A member of the FAN Parachute Company, 1988.]]On 15 April 1974, Lieutenant colonel [[Seyni Kountché]] led [[1974 Nigerien coup d'état|a military coup]] that ended Diori's rule. Diori was imprisoned until 1980 and remained under [[house arrest]] (he died in April 1989 at the age of 72). The government that followed, while plagued by coup attempts of its own, survived until 1993.  While a period of relative prosperity, the military government of the period allowed little free expression and engaged in arbitrary imprisonment and killing. The first presidential election [[1993 Nigerien presidential election|was held in February 1993]] and [[1993 Nigerien parliamentary election|the first multi-party election]] as well (33 years after independence), and the first municipal elections only took place in 2007.<ref>For a detailed account in English of the inner workings of the military regime, see Samuel Decalo (1990), pp.241–285.</ref>

Upon Kountché's death in November 1987, he was succeeded by his chief of staff and cousin, Col. [[Ali Saibou]]. Saibou liberalized some of Niger's laws and policies, and promulgated a new constitution. He released political prisoners, including Diori and his old political nemesis [[Djibo Bakary]]. However, President Saibou's efforts to control political reforms failed in the face of union and student demands to institute a multi-party democratic system. The Saibou regime acquiesced to these demands by the end of 1990. New political parties and civic associations sprang up, and a National Conference was convened in July 1991 to prepare the way for the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of free and fair elections. The debate was often contentious and accusatory, but under the leadership of Prof. [[André Salifou]], the conference developed consensus on the modalities of a transitional government.