– Voting without ID –
The threat of unrest hangs over the vote, with some opposition supporters threatening a general strike if Issoufou is declared victorious at the first round.
Tensions edged higher after Niger’s top court approved a controversial plan to allow voters cast their ballots without identity papers, sparking an opposition outcry on the eve of the vote.
The proposal, submitted by the government, allows people to vote without any ID as long as they are accompanied by two people who can vouch for their identity.
Moussa Tchangari, a leading civil society and opposition figure who heads “Alternative Espace Citoyen”, a rights and development group, said he feared violence.
“Everyone is afraid the outcome could be exceptionally serious,” he said.
Like Tchangari, traditional leaders and religious groups have also issued calls for calm.
Niger, where multi-party democracy dates only to 1990, has a history of grinding poverty and military coups.
Three quarters of the country’s 18 million people survive on less than two dollars a day and desertification, driven by climate change, is pushing rural dwellers into towns.
The UN expects two million people will need food aid this year in Niger, which has the world’s highest fertility rate and where the average age is just 15.
About The Author
