Third terms

Imagine a country with rich Uranium reserves in the Northern part of the country. It’s growth during the last two decades has been around a remarkable 10 percent under a President who is now serving his second term. He also renegotiated the licence for the uranium mine in his country-s favour. The greater beneficiaries of his development strategy are the peasants among whom he enjoys enormous popularity. His country has enjoyed unparalleled political stability.

The President want to change the consitutional to allow for than two term. He declares a state of emerge, dissolves the constitutional court for ruling three times against his plan and also dissolves parliament, which also opposed him.. This should prepare the way for referendum to change the constitution to him a third a Third term.

The Country is “poverty stricken” and ranked the poorest in the world. Malawi Right? Wrong! Our leaders couldn’t sink to that level of stupidity. This is the sad story about Niger.

The President argues that the referendum is not about the third term but about the appropriateness of the constitution itself. He points out that there is something wrong that has allow him to constitutionally declare a state of emergency! Asked whether he is worried that the AU will be unhappy with his government’s decision, the Prime Minister responds that no one in the AU can teach Niger about democracy and definitely not Nigeria who President’s election was dubious.

Mr. Omar, the communications minister, said Tandja wants to "re-establish full democracy...the people must chose, thank their leaders and also keep in power for long a president of the republic that meets their aspirations."

Mr. Tandja himself has said that the constitutional project would allow him to ensure a three-year transition during which no elections would be held. At the end of the transition, he could seek as many mandates as he wanted.

Already the EU has suspended all aid to Niger.

The country’s fragile stability is threatened.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the ongoing political and constitutional crisis in Niger, which threatens to destabilize the country and undermine the progress made in recent years to consolidate democratic governance and the rule of law," a spokesman for Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.