Editing Politics of Niger (section)

====Tazarce====
In the run up to the 2009 elections (Presidential, Assembly, and Municipal), a movement to draft President Tandja for a third term appeared.  Led by public figures of the MNSD outside government, the group took the name of Tandja's 2004 re-election slogan, ''Tazarce'': a [[Hausa language|Hausa]] word meaning "''Continuity''".  Through several well funded and well attended public rallies in late 2008, the President remained silent on the calls for him to remain.<ref>[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/DEPAPA83412/-gouvernance-Le-President-Tandja-reste-muet-sur-les-appels-en-faveur-d?une-prolongation-de-son-mandat.html Le Président Tandja reste muet sur les appels en faveur d’une prolongation de son mandat].  APA 19 December 2008</ref> The 1999 constitution made the serving of more than two term impossible (article 36), and the revision of that article illegal by any means (article 136).  The [[Prime Minister of Niger|Prime Minister]] [[Seyni Oumarou]] reiterated on 22 January that all scheduled elections would go ahead before the end of 2009.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aOI6DPL_PJZc&refer=africa Niger Plans Election by December, Prime Minister Says]. Abdoulaye Ibbo Daddy, [[Bloomberg news]].  22 January 2009.</ref> In March, during his meetings with French President Sarkozy, Tandja explicitly stated that he would not seek a third term.<ref>[http://www.congoplus.info/fr/international/afrique-de-louest/628-niger--l-je-suis-pret-a-partir-a-la-fin-de-mon-mandat-r-affirme-le-president-nigerien  Niger : « Je suis prêt à partir à la fin de mon mandat », affirme le Président nigérien]. APA 28 Mars 2009 11:34
<br />
« je ne cherche pas un autre mandat. Donc je suis très clair là-dessus, je n’ai demandé à aucun nigérien si on peut faire ceci ou cela. Jamais, et je n’ai jamais demandé quoi que ce soit pour changer la constitution nigérienne ou à y chercher des modifications »</ref>

Then, in early May 2009, when questioned by the press on his visit to Agadez to begin peace talks with Tuareg rebels, Tandja announced that "the people have demanded I remain."<ref>[http://www.tamtaminfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1319:le-president-de-la-republique-mamadou-tandja-lle-peuple-demande-que-je-reste-je-ne-peux-pas-rester-insensible-a-son-appelr-&catid=44:politique&Itemid=61 Le président de la République Mamadou Tandja: «Le peuple demande que je reste, je ne peux pas rester insensible à son appel.»]. LE TEMOIN 04 - 8 May 2009.</ref> His spokesman then outlined a plan in which a referendum could be held in mid-2009, not to amend the 1999 constitution, but to scrap it and begin work on a constitution of the Sixth Republic of Niger, which would contain no term limits for the President, and create a fully [[Presidential republic]].<ref>[http://www.tamtaminfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1362:chronogramme-tazartche-bonus-de-3-ans-pour-tandja-elections-locales-et-legislatives-en-2009-elections-presidentielles-auxquelles-tandja-pouvait-participer-en-2012&catid=44:politique&Itemid=61 Chronogramme Tazartché: Bonus de 3 ans pour Tandja, Elections locales et législatives en 2009, Elections présidentielles (auxquelles Tandja pouvait participer) en 2012].  LE TEMOIN du 11 au 15 mai 2009</ref>
<ref>[http://www.republicain-niger.com/index.asp?affiche=News_Display.asp&articleid=5404 ANNONCE DU RÉFÉRENDUM Le planning du Tazartché] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715174815/http://www.republicain-niger.com/index.asp?affiche=News_Display.asp&articleid=5404 |date=15 July 2011 }}.  Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.</ref>
<ref>[http://www.republicain-niger.com/index.asp?affiche=News_Display.asp&articleid=5403 RÉFÉRENDUM CONSTITUTIONNEL Une présidence à vie s'annonce !] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715174821/http://www.republicain-niger.com/index.asp?affiche=News_Display.asp&articleid=5403 |date=15 July 2011 }}  Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.</ref>
<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,82231_cid_4257991,00.html ALa Cedeao contre la réforme constitutionnelle prévue au Niger ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519114641/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0%2C%2C82231_cid_4257991%2C00.html |date=19 May 2009 }}.  [[Deutsche Welle]]. 15 May 2009.</ref>

On 15 May 2009, in response to their parties opposition to a proposed referendum to allow the President to seek a third term, the three members of [[RDP-Jama'a]] and [[ANDP-Zaman Lahiya]] were replaced with ministers drawn from the MNSD-Nassara. With the continued support of the CDS, the MNSD maintained a working majority of 67 seats in the 113 seat National Assembly.<ref>[http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/info/afp_article.php?idrub=6&xml=newsmlmmd.2227c5aa1b620aa0aa0fbb325e51f139.ab1.xml Remaniement gouvernemental au Niger, nouveau ministre de la Justice]. AFP 15 May 2009</ref>

According to the 1999 [[Constitution of Niger]], the President may call a [[referendum]] on any matter (except for a revision of those elements of the Constitution outlined in Article 136—including the presidential term limits).  The [[Constitutional Court of Niger]] and the [[National Assembly of Niger]] must advise the president, but there is no provision that the president must heed their advice.  On 25 May 2009, the Constitutional Court, made up of appointed judges, released a ruling that any referendum to create a new constitution would be [[unconstitutional]], and further would be a violation of the oath the president had taken on the [[Koran]] (a serious matter in this overwhelmingly Muslim country).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724183233/http://af.reuters.com/article/nigerNews/idAFLQ4311320090526?feedType=RSS&feedName=nigerNews Niger court says third-term referendum unlawful]. Reuters. 26 May 2009</ref><ref>[http://nigerdiaspora.info/index.php/politique/politique/la-cour-constitutionnelle-du-niger-s%E2%80%99oppose-au-projet-de-changement-de-constitution-/ La Cour constitutionnelle du Niger s’oppose au projet de changement de constitution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604204159/http://nigerdiaspora.info/index.php/politique/politique/la-cour-constitutionnelle-du-niger-s%E2%80%99oppose-au-projet-de-changement-de-constitution-/ |date=4 June 2009 }} APA News. 25 May 2009.</ref> The week prior, two major parties had come out in their opposition to the referendum proposal as well.  On 13 May, the [[ANDP-Zaman Lahiya]], led by former MNSD number two Djermokoye declared its opposition to any change in the constitution.  On 15 May the [[CDS-Rahama]], the party without which the MNSD could not have formed governments in 1999, 2004, and 2007, came out opposing the referendum, and calling the constitution unalterable.<ref>[http://nigerdiaspora.info/index.php/politique/politique/le-principal-parti-alli%C3%A9-de-tandja-contre-son-projet-de-r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum/ Le principal parti allié de Tandja contre son projet de référendum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519131030/http://nigerdiaspora.info/index.php/politique/politique/le-principal-parti-alli%C3%A9-de-tandja-contre-son-projet-de-r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum/ |date=19 May 2009 }}. AFP 15 May 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.tamtaminfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1372:declaration-du-bureau-politique-cds-rahama-sur-le-schema-l-tazartche-r-propose-au-president-de-la-republique&catid=44:politique&Itemid=61 Declaration du Bureau Politique CDS Rahama sur le schéma « Tazartché » proposé au président de la république].  Bureau Politique [[CDS-Rahama]].  15 May 2009.</ref> Neither party moved into the opposition, and both Ousmane and Djermokoye said they were willing to negotiate with the president.<ref>[http://www.tamtaminfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1365:-ousmane-et-djermokoye-esperent-toujours-louverture-des-negociations-avec-tandja&catid=44:politique&Itemid=61 Ousmane et Djermokoye espèrent toujours l’ouverture des négociations avec Tandja ]. LE TEMOIN du 11 au 15 mai 200</ref>

On 26 March, within hours of the Constitutional courts statement, official media read out a statement that President Tandja had dissolved the National Assembly.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724183335/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE54P0EL20090526?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews Niger's Tandja dissolves parliament]. Reuters. 26 May 2009</ref> Under the 1999 Constitution he is allowed to do once every two years,<ref>Matthew Søberg Shugart. [http://dss.ucsd.edu/~mshugart/semi-presidentialism.pdf Semi-Presidential Systems: Dual Executive and Mixed Authority Patterns] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819200307/http://dss.ucsd.edu/~mshugart/semi-presidentialism.pdf |date=19 August 2008 }}. School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. University of California, San Diego (September 2005).</ref> but he must call parliamentary elections with three months.  This would mean the government of Niger would carry out [[Nigerien parliamentary election, 2009|scheduled parliamentary elections]] in September, two months early, and a referendum on a new constitution before Presidential elections which can take place no later than December, assuming the 1999 constitution is in effect.