(3 minutes read)
· The second round of the presidential vote of Niger will take place on February 21
· This is the runoff round (second round) when former president of Niger Mahamane Ousmane, who was driven from power by a military coup after three years in power, is locked with favored ruling party candidate Mohamed Bazoum
· Mohamed Bazoum the favored presidential candidate was a former interior minister supported by outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou
The second round of the presidential vote of Niger will take place on February 21. This is the runoff round (second round) when former president of Niger Mahamane Ousmane, who was driven from power by a military coup after three years in power, is locked with favored ruling party candidate Mohamed Bazoum. However, the opposition parties have lent support to Ousmane, the runner-up to Mohamed Bazoum in last month’s first round. Coming under the banner of a coalition called Cap 20-21, 18, parties have appealed to all opposition party supporters to vote for the combined opposition leader Mahamane Ousmane,
Mohamed Bazoum, the favored presidential candidate was a former interior minister supported by outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou. He took a strong lead in the first round of voting on December 27, winning 39.33 percent of ballots cast. The tally of Ousmane was 16.99 percent. There were 30 candidates in the fray. Both candidates –the first and runner up –have to seek support of the other candidates in the run-off round. What normally happens is a complicated coalition, where political parties pull in different directions, often leading to stalemate and power being abused to silence the dissenters.
Issoufou had voluntarily stepped down after two five-year terms in office. Handing over to another democratically-elected newcomer will be a first in Niger, which has a history of coups and uprisings since its independence from France in 1960.
