Niger: OIF experts examine the contested electoral roll

Niger Ceni agents during electoral operations in March 2016. (Illustrative image) ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP

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3 min

In Niger, the audit of the electoral roll is due to begin this Friday, September 4.

The Ceni, the Electoral Commission, officially received the file the day before yesterday, and was due on Thursday September 3 to hand it over to the first team of experts who arrived in Niamey.

These experts from the OIF (International Organization of La Francophonie) should be joined by those from ECOWAS and the African Union.

Their mission promises to be delicate, the file being already contested by the opposition.

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In its white paper published at the end of July, the Nigerien opposition already criticized the preparation of the electoral roll.

Today, the enrollment operations are completed, the file is finalized, but mistrust remains.

We do not agree with the way in which the file was drawn up,

warns

Mariama Gamatié Bayard, one of the spokespersons for

the Coalition for a political alternation

.

We took immigrants, we did things at night, they bought the receipts, all the things that we described in detail with precise evidence.

The electoral code says that it is a biometric, national file.

There is no question of that, because the diaspora is not there.

 "

The president of the CENI confirms that the closure of the borders following the pandemic did not make it possible to carry out the enrollment operations on time in the 15 countries concerned.

► See also: Niger: creation of a coalition for political alternation in 2021

Maitre Issaka Sounna also recalls that the first posting of the file in the 18,000 enrollment and voting centers gave rise to appeals which were all dealt with.

“ 

All the complaints we received have been dealt with, there has not been a single additional complaint.

If they say the file is not good now, I don't understand.

Because we have no complaints that were not dealt with during the litigation period.

 "

The president of the CENI asks the opposition to trust his institution.

He recalls that all parties, including those of the opposition, are invited to join in the audit procedure.

Thursday evening September 3, the opposition had not yet appointed its representatives.

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