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Niger rights group urges prosecution of ousted president

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Nigerien rights group, the United Front for the Safeguard of Democratic Assets (Fusad), called Tuesday for the prosecution of ousted president Mamadou Tandja on treason charges. Fusad, which is allied with the opposition party that led last week's coup, claims that Tandja is guilty of corruption violating the constitution, and alleges that he gave out contracts to foreign oil and uranium firms. Late Monday, the military junta, which is calling itself the Supreme Council for Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), announced over state radio that Major Salou Djibo will act as Niger's new head of state. As interim president, Dijbo will have the power to appoint the prime minister and remove ministers. The junta also announced the creation of a task force to draft a new constitution and electoral laws as well as a constitutional committee and a court to replace those that were dissolved following last week's coup. The junta has given no time-frame for the transition to civilian rule, but the CSRD has promised to turn Niger into a democracy. President Seini Oumarou of the former ruling party, the National Movement for Society and Development (MNSD) has condemned the coup, as Tandja and his prime minister remain under house arrest. Last week's coup, which left at least three Nigerien soldiers dead, comes six months after a referendum was passed abolishing presidential term limits and allowing Tandja to remain in office for three more years and to run in any subsequent elections. Niger's opposition parties denounced the referendum, claiming that Tandja inflated poll numbers to support the new constitution's adoption. In September, members of the opposition parties said that police had detained 30 former opposition lawmakers, allegedly at the behest of Tandja. The 30 former members of parliament were arrested on charges of embezzlement, but were likely being targeted for their dissidence, as they refused to recognize Tandja's expansion of powers. One week later, leader of the opposition Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou Issoufou, was charged with financial crimes. The PNDS claimed the corruption charges were politically motivated. Niger, which is known for its exportation of uranium, has gone through five constitutions and military regimes since its founding in 1960.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 23, 2010 (boomark / email).