New constitution promulgated

The chairman of Niger's ruling Conseil national pour la reconciliation (CNR), Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, on Monday signed a decree promulgating the country's new constitution, the official 'La Voix du Sahel radio reported. Under the constitution, the president and the prime minister will share power and will have to govern together, a constitutional court is to be set up and amnesty granted to those involved in the military coups in 1996 and 1999. On 9 April 1999, the CNR overthrew and killed then President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara, who had seized power in 1996. It later set up a committee to draft the new constitution, which was approved at a referendum held in July. The junta has announced presidential elections for 3 October and parliamentary polls for 14 November. So far there are at least three nominees for the presidential election. The former ruling Rassemblement pour la democratie et le progres has split into two factions with each nominating a candidate. The two are chairman Hamid Elgabid and deputy chairman Amadou Boubacar Cisse, who had been Mainassara's prime minister. The Parti pour la Democratie et le Socialisme has nominated its chair, Mahamadou Issoufou, as its candidate. Issoufou is a former speaker of the national assembly.