adez, Diffa,
Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1958 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution: the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national
referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22
December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head
of government head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22
December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head
of government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was
appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities
with the president cabinet: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last
held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed
by the president election results: Mamadou TANDJA elected president;
percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members
elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 24
November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD-Nassara 38, CDS-Rahama 17,
PNDS-Tarayya 16, RDP-Jama'a 8, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4

Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour
d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a
or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama
or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing
Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman]; Nigerien
Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman
Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Democracy
and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Union of
Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor
Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU