Increasing Support to the Electoral Process in Niger

14 January 2011
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Abuja - Nigeria — An ECOWAS-African Union-United Nations tripartite delegation concluded a two- day visit to Niger on the eve of the opening of the presidential campaign, which is due to start on 15th January 2010.

The delegation was composed of Jean de Dieu Somda, Vice-President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security and Said Djinnit, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa.

During the visit, the joint delegation met with the Head of State and President of the Conseil Suprême pour la Restauration de la Démocratie General, Salou Djibo, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Interior, the President of the Conseil Consultatif National and the Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). They also met with presidential candidates, representatives of the candidates as well as members of the diplomatic community and the UN system in Niamey.

The delegation commended the interim national authorities for keeping the electoral process on schedule despite multiple challenges. Members of the delegation reaffirmed the support of the international community and their respective organizations to the transition leading to the restoration of democratic rule in the country.

They encouraged stakeholders to draw on lessons learned from the local elections and to sort technical and logistical issues in order to ensure that the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 31st January 2011 take place in the best conditions. ECOWAS the AU and UN reaffirmed their readiness to increase their support for the success of the electoral process.

The tripartite delegation encouraged the stakeholders to create the conditions for free, transparent and uncontested elections which will restore constitutional order in Niger.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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