Niger holds presidential election
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Niger holds the presidential and parliamentary elections on Monday to restore the constitutional order and democracy after a military coup in February 2010.
The vote is set to begin at 8 a. m. local time (0700 GMT) and end at 7 p. m. (1800 GMT).
A total of 6,730,472 Nigeriens will cast ballots in 20,899 polling stations across the land-locked African country to choose the president from among 10 candidates, and elect 113 parliamentarians.
The presidential contenders include Mahamadou Issoufou of the Social Democratic Party, Seini Oumarou of the National Movement for the Development of Society, former prime minister Hama Amadou and former president Mahamane Ousmane.
A second round of election will be held in mid-March between the two leading candidates if none has a clear win on Monday.
The military junta, known as the Restoration of Democracy in Niger (CSRD), toppled former president Mamadou Tandja on Feb. 18, 2010, citing his attempts to cling to power.
Tandjia had sought a third term in violation of the original constitution, which he replaced with a new one through a referendum in 2009. Tandjia had been under international criticism for his steps to hold on to power, before a group of military officers toppled him.
Tandjia was transferred to a prison close to the capital Niamey two weeks before the polls from the presidential palace, where he had been under house arrest since the coup.
Election campaigns opened on Jan. 15 and ended on Saturday night. Land borders are closed between Sunday and Monday for the security of the elections, according to a communique of the Interior Ministry.
In an interview with Xinhua Interior Minister Ousmane Cisse reiterated the neutrality of the CSRD in the competition for the country's top post. "We are going to respect the choice of the Nigerien people," he declared.
The elections are unfolded in accordance with the pledge by the CSRD under international pressure to restore democracy and the constitutional order. The junta formed a government of transition in the run-up to the polls, in which it vowed no part.
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