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Mahamane Ousmane

Mahamane Ousmane (born 20 January 1950)^[1] is a Nigerien political figure. He was the first democratically elected president of Niger, serving from 16 April 1993^[2] until his ouster in a military coup d'état on 27 January 1996. He has continued to run for president in each election since his ouster, and he has been president of the country's National Assembly since late 1999. He is also the head of the Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama (CDS) party.

Ousmane, the candidate of the CDS, ran for president in the election held on February 27, 1993. He received second place, with 26.59% of the vote, behind Tandja Mamadou; however, with the backing of a coalition of parties known as the Alliance of the Forces of Change (AFC), Ousmane won the presidency in the second round, held on March 27, taking 54.42%.^[3][4]

During the first part of Ousmane's term, the AFC, which included Ousmane's party, 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; despite this, Ousmane appointed his CDS ally Souley Abdoulaye as prime minister, but the parliament quickly passed a vote of no confidence against Abdoulaye. Consequently, 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. This resulted in sharp rivalry and government deadlock, and Ousmane made clear his intention to dissolve the parliament and call new elections after the passing of one year (he was constitutionally prohibited from doing so sooner). However, in late January 1996 Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara seized power in a military coup, pointing to the disordered political situation as justification.^[4] Ousmane was arrested, along with Amadou and Issoufou, and held at a military barracks for several days; he was then placed under house arrest until April.^[5]

Ousmane received second place, with 19.75% of the vote, 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.^[5] 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.^[3] Ousmane gave his support to Tandja, and Tandja defeated Issoufou to win the second round.^[6]

The November 1999 parliamentary election gave a majority to an alliance of Tandja's National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) and Ousmane's CDS.^[3][7] On December 29, 1999, Ousmane was elected president of the National Assembly;^[1] he was re-elected to this post five years later.^[8]

Ousmane again took third place in the November 2004 presidential election, on which occasion he took 17.4% of the vote.^[3]

On November 14^th,2006 Mahamane Ousmane was elected as a new speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. Mr. Mahamane will lead the second legislature of the regional Parliament through a transition period of four years, which will terminate in 2010. His major challenge will be to coordinate the processes that would facilitate the election of members of the Parliament through direct universal suffrage. ^[9]

• History of Niger

1. ^ ^{a b} "President of the National Assembly of Niger Mahamane Ousmane Elected President of the IPU Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians", Inter-Parliamentary Union, press release no. 179, 15 January 2004.
2. ^ Background Notes: Niger, July 1994, U.S. Department of State.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Elections in Niger, African Elections Database.
4. ^ ^{a b} 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.
5. ^ ^{a b} "Niger: A major step backwards", Amnesty International, 16 October 1996.
6. ^ "Tandja well placed to win second term as president", IRIN, September 20, 2004.
7. ^ Niger: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2001, U.S. State Department, March 4, 2002.
8. ^ Background Note: Niger, U.S. Department of State, April 2006.
9. ^ [1], N^o 112/2006

Heads of State of Niger
Hamani Diori • Seyni Kountché • Ali Saibou • Mahamane Ousmane • Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara • Daouda Malam Wanké • Tandja Mamadou