LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Niger: Governments
built 620 days ago
Niger achieved full independence on Aug. 3, 1960, and Hamani Diori, the leader of the PPN, became its first president; he was reelected in 1965 and 1970. In the early 1960s, sporadic campaigns of rebel warfare were waged by the outlawed Sawaba party (most of whose members lived in exile). Otherwise, Niger enjoyed political stability, despite its weak economy and occasional ethnic conflicts; the PPN maintained firm control of the government. Close ties were retained with France, which gave Niger considerable aid.
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Niger suffered austere military rule for much of its post-independence history. Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year revolt by Tuareg tribes, who accused the government of failing to deliver on promised economic aid. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule in December 1999.
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Niger's new constitution was approved in July 1999. It restored the semi-presidential system of government of the December 1992 constitution (Third Republic) in which the president of the republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term, and a prime minister named by the president share executive power. As a reflection of Niger�s increasing population, the unicameral legislature was expanded in 2004 to 113 deputies elected for a 5 year term under a majority system of representation. Political parties must attain at least 5% of the vote in order to gain a seat in the legislature.
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A representative of the Department of Social Development, Population, Promotion of Women and Welfare of Children, Government of Niger, made a presentation at the conference in Varese in 1999. Outlining the situation in Niger, the Minister, Mme Foumakoye Nana Aicha, discussed the energy situation, highlighting the use of wood in 90% of all households and the serious consumption of forest resources that use represented, as well as the amount of carbon emissions released to the atmosphere. The nation is seeking both to preserve its already fragile environment (around 1% forested land) and to reduce its dependence on imported fuels. A variety of renewable technologies are under consideration, including solar cooking. A National Solar Energy Center has been created and is conducting experiments with parabolic cookers and boxes, for large-scale dissemination, planning for up to 40,000 cookers. The minister's speech illustrated a good understanding of the importance of the topic, in terms of global environmental circumstances (Varese, p. 57).
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Niger's agricultural policy is to achieve food self-sufficiency regardless of climate changes. The following means were recommended: dry-cropping in rural areas; hydro-agricultural projects including the use of depressions and water-points must be increased to increase cultivation; the "land Capital" must be more nationally exploited; soils must be improved by the introduction of phosphates, nitrogen based fertilizers and manure; traditional farming techniques must be replaced. Several efforts are being put forth to achieve self sufficiency. Projects to increase rain-fed crops on sand dunes are intended to increase millet and sorghum as well as cash crops mentioned above. Also, the government is making efforts to train individuals for the field to satisfy the need for agricultural specialists.
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On June 28, the High Council of Communication (CSC), the government organ charged with regulation of the media, closed the private weekly L'Opinion for "insults and defamatory language toward the president of Niger and his family; inciting revolt; and immoral offense." On June 21, the newspaper had published an article entitled L'Imposture (deception) in which it called the president a "wretched lieutenant" and a "dormouse." The same article ... called for regime change in the form of a transition government--supposedly a vague allusion to a coup d'etat. On April 25 in another article, the newspaper had published a list of houses that the president allegedly purchased for his seven children for an amount that exceeded his declared legal earnings.
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