VZCZCXRO8716
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0737/01 1491310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291310Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3525
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0537

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000737 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR AF/W; PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCOR NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: PARLIAMENT PLAYS WITH PM CENSURE MOTION 
 
REF: 06 NIAMEY 847 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) On Saturday the 26th, the opposition in Niger's 
National Assembly raised a censure motion against the 
coalition government of Prime Minister (PM) Hama Amadou, 
alleging negligence in its management of the investigation of 
a public school funds scandal rumored to implicate the PM 
(reftel). A vote of censure is equivalent to a vote of 
no-confidence and would force the resignation of the PM and 
all GON ministers if passed. While this is the fourth time 
since 2000 that the opposition has moved a no-confidence 
motion, this one seems to be serious. Interestingly, both the 
President of Niger and the President of the National Assembly 
were out of the country on previously scheduled travel when 
the opposition made its current move. Neither has returned as 
of this writing. Ruling MNSD party deputies tried a series of 
delaying tactics during debate on May 28, suggesting a need 
for breathing space for vote counting and strategizing. The 
absence of National Assembly President Mahamane Ousmane (in 
Nigeria for an ECOWAS parliamentarians, meeting) left 
procedures in the hands of the National Assembly's First Vice 
President, MNSD Deputy Issaka Hassan Djegoule, whose obvious 
partisanship added another layer of theatricality to the 
day's drama. While initially scheduled to re-open at 10h00 on 
May 29, debate has yet to re-open.  While parliamentary 
maneuvering has not yet saved the day for PM Amadou, 
political calculus might. The ruling coalition's member 
parties may not be willing to take a step that would endanger 
the ministerial berths they now control. END SUMMARY 
 
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DELAYING TACTICS SUGGEST MNSD 
DISQUIETUDE 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) On May 26, thirteen opposition Deputies offered a 
written motion of censure against the government. (Ten 
percent of the 113 member chamber's deputies must endorse a 
motion to get it on the calendar.) The motion was received 
and debate was officially scheduled for May 28. The PM's 
party, MNSD, began a series of parliamentary maneuvers on May 
28, designed to derail debate on the motion. First, MNSD 
Deputies questioned the admissibility of the motion. Also, 
MNSD Deputy and acting National Assembly President (speaker) 
Issaka Hassan Djegoule asserted the right to seek legal 
counsel on the matter, and asked GON Minister of Justice and 
renowned Hama Amadou loyalist Maty Elhadj Moussa to take the 
podium and render a judgment. The obvious partisanship seems 
to have offended everyone. Amidst calls of "anyone but Maty" 
from opposition and ruling coalition Deputies alike, PM 
Amadou called his friend back down. The advice of the 
Assembly's own non-partisan parliamentarians was then sought, 
as it would be throughout the day. The Assembly Secretary 
General (SG) and Director of Legislation ruled that the 
motion had been properly moved and debate properly scheduled. 
Debate could go forward. 
 
¶3. (U) MNSD members next asked if Deputies who serve as 
judges on the High Court of Justice (a National Assembly 
court that is responsible for investigating charges against 
ministers and Deputies and is currently investigating the 
school funding scandal) could take part in the debate. 
Parliamentarians ruled that they could. Twenty-seven MNSD 
Deputies then stated that they had no confidence in the 
parliamentarians' rulings and sought the advice of the 
Constitutional Court. They also requested a ruling suspending 
proceedings until the Constitutional Court was able to 
advise. Parliamentarians ruled that a request for advice 
rather than a ruling did not constitute grounds for a 
suspension and had no impact on the debate or motion. The 
MNSD Deputies then moved to discuss only preliminary 
questions, not the motion itself; again, the parliamentarians 
ruled that the motion had been properly submitted and must be 
debated and voted upon. In each case, the opposition cited 
and the parliamentarians agreed with Article 119 of the 
National Assembly by-laws. After employing this succession of 
delaying tactics, the MNSD's moved to new ground -- that it 
is not legal or appropriate for the National Assembly to 
debate a case already before the courts. It is expected that 
the opposition will counter that the debate is on the 
management of the case, not the case itself, and that the 
MNSD majority debated an army mutiny case several years ago 
even while that trial was ongoing (setting a precedent). The 
Assembly adjourned at 2030 on Monday, with a re-opening 
scheduled for 1000 today. As of this writing the Assembly had 
 
NIAMEY 00000737  002 OF 002 
 
 
not re-convened. 
 
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READY, AND JUST WAITING 
FOR THE VOTES? 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) PM Amadou took the floor on Monday, despite opposition 
attempts to rule his address to the Deputies out of order. 
Hama spoke for five minutes, long enough to denounce the 
opposition, challenge them to bring evidence of his 
implication in the school funding scandal, and state the he 
would resign were such evidence provided. The PM's bravado 
may be a feint. Or, it may reflect confidence born of 
judicious vote counting. 
 
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COMMENT: NO HONOR, BUT SOME FEAR AMONG POL 
PARTY CHIEFS...HOW HAMA CAN STAY 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) It is interesting that the opposition moved this 
censure motion at a time when both Niger President Mamadou 
Tandja and National Assembly President Mahamane Ousmane were 
out of the country on previously scheduled travel (the former 
to preside over the Lake Chad Basin Commission meeting in 
Abuja). Pol FSN heard from some contacts that this time, a 
significant number of coalition deputies (including a few 
from the MNSD itself) might vote for a censure motion. If so, 
the, PM could fall. Failing that, the defection of a number 
of MNSD Deputies would suggest a lack of party unity heading 
into 2009 elections. Tensions within the party over PM 
Amadou's Djerma ethnicity and anxiety over his leadership 
style and allegations of corruption against him and some of 
his ministers may all play a role. (Note: Niger's Djerma 
minority ruled the country for thirty years post 
independence, but President Tandja is from another group. End 
note.) Leaders of the majority coalition's other member 
parties -- particularly CDS leader and National Assembly 
President Mahamane Ousmane -- love to gripe about PM Amadou's 
leadership. The press is rife with talk of a "secret deal" 
between President Tandja and one or more of the coalition 
members to shift the Premiership between party chiefs. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Perhaps this time such a combination of factors will 
suffice to topple PM Amadou. However, the PM is one of 
Niger's most durable politicians, and may be able to exert 
enough pressure on other coalition members to thwart the 
opposition yet again. Most of the MNSD's coalition partners 
are small parties. With the exception of CDS (22 seats), none 
is guaranteed as advantageous a position after a ministerial 
re-shuffle. Each coalition member has a share of ministerial 
berths. Each coalition party president has a nice sinecure. 
How ever much these ambitious men (including two former PMs 
and one former President) relish Hama's seat, each knows that 
when the music stops, he could be the one without a chair. 
ALLEN