Mahamane Ousmane
Mahamane Ousmane (born 20 January 1950) is a Nigerien political figure. He served as the president of Niger from 16 April 1993[1] to 27 January 1996. He was the first democratically elected president of Niger. In elections held on February 27, 1993, Ousmane came in second, with 26.59% of the vote, behind Tandja Mamadou, but he won the presidency in the second round, held on March 27, taking 54.42%.[2]
During the first part of Ousmane's term, a coalition known as the Alliance of the Forces of Change, which included his party, the Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama, held a parliamentary majority. In September 1994, however, Ousmane issued a decree that reduced the powers of the prime minister; the resignation of prime minister Mahamadou Issoufou soon followed, along with the withdrawal of his party from the governing coalition. This left the coalition without a parliamentary majority, and new parliamentary elections were called for January 1995. These elections resulted in an opposition victory and forced cohabitation between Ousmane and an opposition-controlled parliament headed by prime minister Hama Amadou.[3] This resulted in political deadlock that lasted until Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara seized power in a military coup in January 1996. Ousmane was arrested, along with Amadou and Issoufou, and subsequently placed under house arrest until April.[4]
Ousmane received second place in the July 7–8, 1996 presidential election, which was won by Maïnassara; on the second day of polling he was again placed under house arrest and was freed after two weeks.[4] He took third place, with 22.51% of the vote, in the October 1999 presidential election, which occurred after the assassination of Maïnassara; he placed slightly behind second-place finisher Issoufou and therefore did not participate in the run-off held in November. Ousmane again took third place in the November 2004 election, on which occasion he took 17.4% of the vote.[2] Ousmane has been president of the country's National Assembly since 1999.
See also
Reference
- ^ Background Notes: Niger, July 1994, U.S. Department of State.
- ^ a b Elections in Niger, African Elections Database.
- ^ Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic", Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.
- ^ a b "Niger: A major step backwards", Amnesty International, 16 October 1996.