Low turnout in referendum

Most of Niger's four million registered voters stayed away from polling stations in Sunday's referendum on a new constitution designed to share power between a president and prime minister, news reports said. Quoting provisional figures from the Conseil electoral national independent (CENI), Reuters reported early on Monday that average turnout in 17 of the 63 communes plus one department was 12 percent. The low turnout was partly attributed to farmers tending their fields during the ongoing rainy reason. Rains also rendered polling stations inaccessible in three regions. The referendum comes three months after President Ibrahim Barre Mainassara was assassinated in a coup. The previous constitution was scrapped because, reports said, it gave too much power to the presidency.