Niger Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Niger

Type: republic, military regime in power since April 1974

Capital: Niamey

Political subdivisions: 7 departments, 32 arrondissements

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 1960, suspended 1974; committee appointed January 1984 to “reflect” on a new national charter; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holidays: Independence Day, 3 August; Republic Day, 18 December

Branches: executive authority exercised by President Seyni Kountche in the name of the Supreme Military Council (SMC), which is composed of army officers; office of prime minister created January 1983; since November 1983, civilians have held all cabinet portfolios except Defense and Interior, which are held by President Kountche

Government leader: Brig. Gen. Seyni KOUNTCHE, President of Supreme Military Council, Chief of State (since 1974); Hamid ALGABID, Prime Minister (since November 1983)

Suffrage: universal adult

Flections: popular elections currently allowed only for choosing representatives for village Development Councils, which advise on local economic development

Political parties and leaders: political parties banned

Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Member off. AfDB, APC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAFA, IBRD, ICAO, ID A, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger

River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

NOTE: The information regarding Niger on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Niger 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Niger 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.