Niger’s transition conference recommends that military ruler, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, remain for five more years with the option of running for president after.
Niger’s National Transition Convention, held on February 15 to determine the duration of the military government’s transition to democratic rule, has submitted a proposal for a five-year transition period during which the current military government will stay in power.
“The duration of the transition is set at 60 months, which may change depending on the security situation” and other factors, Abdoulaye Seydou, one of the commission’s vice presidents, said on state TV.
The commission also decided to elevate Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the junta leader, to the rank of army general, Seydou said.
The proposal, awaiting the junta’s approval, includes abolishing all political parties and drafting a new party charter authorising the creation of no more than five parties. Commission President, Mamoudou Harouna Djingarey, said political parties would be dissolved, with a new charter allowing for two to five political parties. The proposal also allows General Tchiani to stand as a candidate in the proposed election.
Government sources said the commission’s work involved consultations with more than 700 delegates including lawyers, architects and teachers. Political parties did not participate.
Tchiani has pledged to implement the conference’s recommendations, saying “I am committed to fulfilling the sovereign people’s hope. You have done your part; I will do mine.”
Before the commencement of the convention, reports say, authorities held consultations across Niger’s eight regions and formed a national commission to oversee the dialogue.
The commission was divided into five subcommittees dealing with crucial issues such as peace, security, national reconciliation, as well as political and institutional reconstruction.
Results of the regional consultations that took place in early 2024 in the eight regions of the country provided the framework for the deliberations.
Advocates of a return to constitutional governance say the conference is a welcome development after setbacks to the initial commitments to a three-year transition by the military leadership after seizing power from the Mohamed Bazoum government in July 2023.
Some have questioned the rationale behind a five-year transition period. However, many believe that the decision of the delegates was influenced by the Burkinabès’ decision during their national conference to grant their military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the position of President for five years.
In the three military-led Sahel states of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, there has not been adherence to previously agreed transition timelines. Mali and Burkina Faso have extended their transition timelines, despite initially pledging a quicker return to democracy. Mali’s military has attributed the delay to a second coup in 2021, just months after the overthrow of the Ibrahim Boubacar Keita-led democratically elected government. Burkina Faso’s junta postponed elections, citing security concerns.
While several observers have described the transition plan as a good step, they warn that duplicating an entire system and expecting it to work with different cultural views, values and norms may likely not solve the region’s political problems. Rather, they suggest, political leaders in the region must create a democratic environment that is suitable for the current realities and challenges.
