Niger's election commission says President Mamadou Tandja's ruling
party has won a clear majority in a widely-condemned parliamentary vote.
The election commission said Saturday Mr. Tandja's party won 76 out of 133 seats, with the rest being split among other parties.
Niger's
opposition boycotted Tuesday's vote, which the international community
criticized as an illegal bid by President Tandja to indefinitely hold
on to power.
Mr. Tandja held an August referendum that approved
changes to the constitution allowing him to stay in office a third term
and beyond. The president dissolved Niger's parliament in June, after
lawmakers refused to allow the referendum saying it was illegal.
Tuesday's
parliamentary elections prompted the Economic Community of West Africa
States (ECOWAS) to suspend Niger from the regional bloc.
The
African Union and the European Union also called on President Tandja to
call off the election and settle the political crisis through dialogue.
President
Tandja, who has been in power for 10 years, argued the people want him
to finish several foreign-backed projects to develop the economy.
Despite large uranium deposits, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Niger's Ruling Party Wins Disputed Vote
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