Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a Nigerien politician who was President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 and unsuccessfully ran as the MNSD's presidential candidate in 1993 and 1996 before being elected to his first term in 1999. While serving as President of Niger, he was also Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States from 2005 to 2007.
Tandja was of mixed Fula and Soninke ethnicity. He was the first president of Niger who was not ethnically Hausa or Djerma.Country Reports on Human Rights Practices — 2003: Niger, U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 25 February 2004.
Following a constitutional crisis in 2009, which was caused by Tandja's efforts to remain in office beyond his term, he was ousted by the military in a coup d'état on 18 February 2010.
Early and personal life Tandja was born in Maïné-Soroa in 1938, in the south-eastern part of what is now Niger. He was of mixed Fula and Soninke ethnicity.
Tandja was polygamous and had two wives, Laraba Tandja and Fati Tandja, both of whom claimed the role of First Lady of Niger during his presidency.
1974 coup, the Kountché regime and the MNSD After joining the Nigerien army and rising to the rank of colonel, he participated in the 1974 coup that brought Seyni Kountché to power"Tandja wins second term as president in historic first for country", IRIN, 8 December 2004.Idy Barou, "Niger's leader – haunted by hunger", BBC News, 15 August 2005. and became a member of the Supreme Military Council. He became Prefect of Maradi in 1976 before being appointed to the government as Minister of the Interior on 10 September 1979; he remained in the latter position until being replaced by Kountché himself on 31 August 1981."Oct 1979 – Government Reorganization", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 25, October 1979 Niger, Page 29884."Mar 1982 – Government Changes – Other Internal and External Developments", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 28, March 1982 Niger, Page 31404. He was then Prefect of Tahoua from 1981 to March 1988, Ambassador to Nigeria from June 1988 to March 1990 and minister of the interior again from March 1990 to March 1991.
In 1991, Tandja emerged as the head of one of two powerful factions in the ruling National Movement of the Development Society (Mouvement National pour la Societé de Développement, MNSD) and at a party congress held in November 1991, he was elected as MNSD president.Myriam Gervais, "Niger: Regime Change, Economic Crisis and Perpetuation of Privilege", in Political Reform in Francophone Africa (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, pages 100–102. Tandja's obtaining of the party leadership over rival faction leader Moumouni Adamou Djermakoye marked a departure from the traditional dominance of the party by Djermakoye's Zarma (Djerma) ethnic group.Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic", Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.
1993 election and subsequent events Tandja ran for president in the elections of 1993, taking first place in the first round in February with 34.22% of the vote, but then losing to Mahamane Ousmane in the second round in March, taking 45.58% of the vote.Elections in Niger, African Elections Database. Tandja accepted the results and congratulated Ousmane.
Tandja participated in an opposition protest against the government of the Alliance of the Forces of Change ruling coalition on 16 April 1994 and was arrested along with 90 others. Ousmane was overthrown in a military coup led by Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara on 27 January 1996.
1996 election Under Maïnassara, a new presidential election was held on 7–8 July 1996, in which Tandja ran again; this time he took third place with 15.65% of the vote, behind Maïnassara with about 52% and Ousmane with about 20%, according to official results. On the second day of polling he was placed under house arrest along with the other three opposition candidates and held for two weeks."Niger: A major step backwards" , 16 October 1996. Following a pro-democracy demonstration on 11 January 1997, Tandja was arrested along with Ousmane and former prime minister Mahamadou Issoufou and held until 23 January."Harassment of Government Opponents has Become Systematic", Amnesty International (UNHCR.org), 1 May 1997.
1999 election and first term
In April 1999, Maïnassara was assassinated and a new military government led by Major Daouda Malam Wanké took over. This junta promised a return to democracy within the year, and the elections were held in October and November. Tandja won the presidential election, receiving first place, with 32% of the vote, in the first round, and 59.89% in the second round, defeating Issoufou. Tandja received the backing of Ousmane in the second round. The MNSD also won the most seats in the parliamentary election in November 1999 and Tandja himself was elected to the National Assembly as an MNSD candidate from Diffa constituency, although due to his concurrent election as president his seat was filled by his substitute, Nassourou Samaila., National Assembly website (2004 archive) . He took office as president on 22 December 1999. He appointed Hama Amadou as prime minister in January 2000.Niger: Country Report on Human Rights Practices, 2000, U.S. Department of State, 23 February 2001.
Niger was heavily in debt and was not receiving any foreign aid due to the 1996 coup and subsequent suspension of democratic institutions. Tandja focused on economic development, negotiating with the civil service unions and with foreign donors. Many did not approve of Tandja's measures in reducing government spending. In 2001, students at the University of Niamey staged violent protests against the reduction of their government grants. On 31 July 2002, some soldiers in Diffa started a mutiny demanding pay and improved living conditions; this briefly spread to Niamey a few days later. Loyalists defeated the mutineers and restored peace by 9 August, but Tandja came under political fire for his decrees blocking communication about the rebellion.
2004 election and second term Tandja was a candidate for re-election in the 2004 presidential election. In the first round of the election, held on 16 November, he took first place with 40.7% of the vote, the rest being divided between five opponents. As in 1999, Mahamadou Issoufou took second place, and he participated in a runoff with Tandja on 4 December. Tandja was re-elected in the second round with 65.53% of the vote, with Issoufou receiving the remaining 34.47%."RAPPORT DE LA MISSION D’OBSERVATION DES ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLES ET LEGISLATIVES DES 16 NOVEMBRE ET 4 DECEMBRE 2004" , democratie.francophonie.org . All four of the defeated first round candidates supported Tandja in the second round."Incumbent wins Niger presidential poll", afrol News, 8 December 2004."Présidentielle au Niger: un quatrième parti, le RDP, soutient la candidature de Mamadou Tandja au second tour" , Xinhua, 23 November 2004 . He was sworn in for his second term on 21 December at a ceremony at the Général Seyni Kountché Stadium in Niamey, which was attended by six other African presidents."Mamadou Tandja investi en présence de six chefs d'Etats africains" , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), 21 December 2004 .
Although there had been speculation about a possible constitutional change to enable Tandja to run again in 2009, he said in an interview with Le Monde, published on 6 October 2007, that he intended to step down at the end of his second term., Panapress (Afriquenligne.fr), 6 October 2007 . However, on 21 December 2008, a large rally was held in front of the National Assembly building in Niamey calling for an extension of Tandja's term by three years, so that it would end on 22 December 2012. According to supporters of this proposal—which also called for extending the mandates of the National Assembly and other institutions—a three-year extension would be beneficial to the course of Niger's development. Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou was among those taking part in the rally."Nigerien mass rally calls for extension of presidential mandate" , Xinhua, 22 December 2008. The opposition furiously denounced this proposal, and a large demonstration opposing the proposal was held in Niamey a few days later., AFP, 27 December 2008. On 30 December 20 non-governmental organizations and unions, including the Democratic Confederation of Workers of Niger (CDTN), formed the United Front for the Safeguarding of Democratic Gains (FUSAD) in opposition to the extension proposal, and they called on Tandja—who had up to that point expressed no opinion on the matter in public—to speak out against the proposal., AFP, 30 December 2008 .
The relationship with the French nuclear company Areva, which had enjoyed a de facto four decade monopoly in the country, worsened under Tandja as he sought to curb the power of French influence by striking a deal with the China Nuclear International Uranium Corporation in 2007 to develop a uranium mine, resulting in competition for Areva.
2009 constitutional crisis
In the run-up to the 2009 elections (presidential, Assembly, and municipal), a movement to draft President Tandja for a third term appeared. Led by public figures of the MNSD outside government, the group took the name of Tandja's 2004 re-election slogan, Tazartché: a Hausa word meaning "Continuity". Through several well funded and well attended public rallies in late 2008, the President remained silent on the calls for him to remain.Le Président Tandja reste muet sur les appels en faveur d’une prolongation de son mandat. APA 19 December 2008 The 1999 constitution not only limited the president to two terms (article 36), but explicitly barred amending this provision by any means (article 136). Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou reiterated on 22 January that all scheduled elections would go ahead before the end of 2009.Niger Plans Election by December, Prime Minister Says. Abdoulaye Ibbo Daddy, Bloomberg news. 22 January 2009. In March, during his meetings with French President Sarkozy, Tandja explicitly stated that he would not seek a third term. Niger : « Je suis prêt à partir à la fin de mon mandat », affirme le Président nigérien. APA 28 Mars 2009 11:34
« je ne cherche pas un autre mandat. Donc je suis très clair là-dessus, je n’ai demandé à aucun nigérien si on peut faire ceci ou cela. Jamais, et je n’ai jamais demandé quoi que ce soit pour changer la constitution nigérienne ou à y chercher des modifications »
Then, in early May 2009, when questioned by the press on his visit to Agadez to begin peace talks with Tuareg rebels, Tandja announced he would seek a third term, saying. "The people have demanded I remain; I cannot ignore their call."Le président de la République Mamadou Tandja: «Le peuple demande que je reste, je ne peux pas rester insensible à son appel.». LE TEMOIN 04 – 8 May 2009. His spokesman then outlined a plan in which a referendum could be held in mid-2009, not to amend the 1999 constitution, but to scrap it and begin work on a constitution of the Sixth Republic of Niger, which would contain no term limits for the President, and create a fully presidential republic.Chronogramme Tazartché: Bonus de 3 ans pour Tandja, Elections locales et législatives en 2009, Elections présidentielles (auxquelles Tandja pouvait participer) en 2012. LE TEMOIN du 11 au 15 mai 2009ANNONCE DU RÉFÉRENDUM Le planning du Tazartché . Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.RÉFÉRENDUM CONSTITUTIONNEL Une présidence à vie s'annonce ! Oumarou Keïta. Republicain-Niger. 15 May 2009.ALa Cedeao contre la réforme constitutionnelle prévue au Niger . Deutsche Welle. 15 May 2009.