Sunday, February 28, 2010

Politics as Usual?

You may have heard that there was a military coup in Niger. It’s rare for Niger to make headlines, but apparently this was big news back home. There seem to be a lot of people with a lot of questions, myself included.

Let’s start with a little bit of background: Last year, the president, Mahamadou Tandja, had a referendum passed that would allow him to run for president after his second term was up. The US State Department, many other western countries, and the African Union opposed this change in the constitution, saying that it was a step away from a healthy and functional democracy. The opposition party has accused Tandja of corruption, violating the constitution, and falsifying elections. As things progressed, many countries, including the US, Canada, and the countries of the EU, pulled their aid from Niger, with the exception of humanitarian aid (such as providing food in case of famine). This move cut the Nigerien government’s funding significantly, almost by half. Now, just about a week ago, Tandja’s house was overtaken by some members of the military in a coup. Tandja is being held, and the junta has set up a transitional government until they can hold a new election. The coalition that overthrew Tandja’s government is saying that their goal is to renew Niger’s commitment to democracy. (BBC have some pretty decent articles on the coup and the things leading up to it, if you're interested)

Let me just say that things in my neck of the woods were, and continue to be, remarkably calm. I’ve heard that there were some peaceful demonstrations, but for the most part things are carrying on just as they always have. In Niamey, some 15 hours from where I live, there were more demonstrations and activity, but here if it weren't for TV and radio, you would never know that anything had happened.

The local government, at least until they have another election, is staying as-is. In my mayor’s office, people are continuing to work as usual.

I have heard people talking about the coup, with a myriad of reactions. Some Nigeriens have expressed concern about Tandja’s well being, and others have expressed disappointment in another failed attempt at a democracy (This is not the first time things have played out this way here. In fact, since Niger became in independent state in the 60s, they have never been able to have one elected official give over power to another elected official. They elect one guy, he tries to remain in power, he gets overthrown, then they elect a new guy and the cycle begins again). Many have made comments about the decrease in NGOs and aid work since the referendum.

So… that’s about it. It probably sounds a lot more exciting through the news than it does in my life. Things are calm and virtually unchanged. Even so, watching the political situation (who the transitional government functions and what the next elected officials do) develop over the next few years will, I think, be both interesting and informative. Whether this is for better or worse? I think we'll just have to wait and see.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hello:

My name is Eric Wallace, and I’m the Program Manager for the Cooperative League of the USA’s new Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) volunteer program in Niger. Farmer-to-Farmer is a USAID-funded program that sends American farmers and agribusiness professionals on short technical assistance assignments overseas. It’s sort of a mini-Peace Corps program. I’m also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Ukraine 2001-2003). I’m writing because I’m planning to come to Niger May 16-23 to help set up the Farmer-to-Farmer program, and I’d like to ask for your help. There’s a lot of potential for cooperation between PCVs and Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers. Some of our options include having PCVs help select host organizations for Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers to work with and reinforcing FtF volunteer recommendations between FtF assignments. Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers could also offer specialized technical assistance to organizations that are also hosting Peace Corps volunteers. As agriculture PCVs and their host organizations encountered agricultural problems they couldn’t solve on their own, they could bring in Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers to help out.

Would it be possible for our in-country Farmer-to-Farmer Program Coordinator and I to meet with you while I’m in Niger? We could meet in Niamey, or it may also be possible for us to come to you.

Please let me know what questions you have and what other information you need about the program. Thanks ahead of time.

Sincerely,

Eric Wallace
Farmer-to-Farmer Program Manager
National Cooperative Business Association/Cooperative League of the USA
1401 New York Ave NW Suite 1100
Washington DC 20005
Office:202-383-5474 Mobile: 301-442-2675 Skype: eric.wallace.clusa
www.ncba.coop/clusa.cfm