Hama Amadou

Hama Amadou (born 1950) is a Nigerien politician and the President of the National Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara (MNSD-Nassara). [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=37287 "Niger: la crise s'estompe après la formation d'un nouveau gouvernement"] , AFP ("Jeuneafrique.com"), June 10, 2007 fr icon] He was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. As of 2008, he is embroiled in a corruption scandal which saw him arrested to face criminal charges at the Nigerien High Court of Justice.

Under Kountché and Saibou

During the regime of Seyni Kountché, Amadou was Director-General of the Office of Radio Broadcasting and Television of Niger (ORTN) from 1983 to 1985 and became Director of the Cabinet in 1985. Following Kountché's death, [http://max1412.powweb.com/htdocs/joomla/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=617 "Politique: Hama Amadou est-il présidentiable?"] , Tamtaminfo.com, February 27, 2007 fr icon] Amadou was named Minister of Information under his successor, Ali Saibou, on July 15 1988, serving until December 20 1989. [ [http://www.presidence.ne/PagesHtm/GouvALICHAIBOU.htm "GOUVERNEMENTS DU PRESIDENT ALI CHAIBOU"] , official site of the Nigerien presidency fr icon.]

Third Republic

At an MNSD congress held in November 1991, Amadou was elected as its Secretary-General, while Tandja Mamadou was elected as the President of the MNSD. [Myriam Gervais, "Niger: Regime Change, Economic Crisis, and Perpetuation of Privilege", in "Political Reform in Francophone Africa" (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, page 100.]

Amadou was elected to the National Assembly in the February 1993 parliamentary election [ [http://droit.francophonie.org/df-web/publication.do?publicationId=548 "Afrique de l'Ouest - Niger - Cour suprême - 1993 - Arrêt no 93-10/cc du 18 mars 1993"] , droit.francophonie.org fr icon.] as an MNSD candidate in Niamey. [ [http://droit.francophonie.org/df-web/publication.do?publicationId=1024 "Afrique de l'Ouest - Niger - Cour suprême - 1993 - Arrêt no 93-3/cc du 1er février 1993"] , droit.francophonie.org fr icon.]

In another election held in January 1995, an opposition alliance, primarily composed of the MNSD and the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), won a majority of seats, resulting in cohabitation between the government, led by Amadou, and the president, Mahamane Ousmane. Initially, the parliamentary majority put forward Amadou as its sole candidate for the position of prime minister, rather than submit three candidates from which Ousmane would choose the prime minister. Ousmane rejected this and appointed Amadou Cissé, also an MNSD member, as prime minister, but the parliamentary majority would not accept Cissé. Ousmane backed down and appointed Amadou as prime minister after two weeks, on February 21 1995. Amadou and Ousmane came into sharp conflict with one another, and the political system became paralyzed by the dispute. Beginning in April, Ousmane refused to attend meetings of the Council of Ministers, Amadou replaced parastatal managers in July despite Ousmane's objections, and Amadou attempted to assume the presidential role with regard to the Council of Ministers.Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, [http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=11625 "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic"] , Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996.]

Under Maïnassara

On January 27, 1996, a military coup led by Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara ousted both Amadou and Ousmane, and they were both placed under house arrest for several months. [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR430021996?open&of=ENG-NER "Niger: A major step backwards"] , "Amnesty International", 16 October 1996.]

On January 2 1998, Amadou was arrested for allegedly leading a plot to assassinate Maïnassara. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/44156.stm "Niger Police arrest three opposition leaders"] , "BBC News Online", January 3, 1998.] [http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Newsletters/irinw121.html "Niger: Former premier rejects charges of militia creation"] , "IRIN West Africa Update 121", January 12, 1998.] André Salifou, [http://democratie.francophonie.org/article.php3?id_article=1303&id_rubrique=751 "Evolution du processus démocratique nigérien de 1991 à 1999"] , democratie.francophonie.org fr icon.] He was released on bail on January 8, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/45958.stm "Former Prime Minister of Niger charged after release from detention"] , "BBC News Online", January 9, 1998.] but was charged with forming an illegal militia. Amadou denied the charge and said that the arrest was political harassment and a means to distract the people.

Fourth Republic

Maïnassara was assassinated in an April 1999 coup, and new elections were held in late 1999. The MNSD's presidential candidate, Tandja Mamadou, won the presidential election. In the parliamentary election, held in November, the MNSD again won the largest number of seats, and through an alliance with Ousmane's party, the Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama (CDS), it held a majority in the new parliament.

Amadou was again elected to the National Assembly in the 1999 parliamentary election as an MNSD candidate from Niamey, but left his seat [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20040718020211/www.assemblee.ne/organes/ldpce.htm "List of deputies elected in the 1999 election by constituency] , National Assembly website (2004 archive page) fr icon.] to become Prime Minister on January 3, 2000. On this occasion he told the deputies of the National Assembly that Niger faced a "disastrous" financial situation and that "the coffers are absolutely empty", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/589625.stm "No pay for Niger MPs"] , "BBC News Online", January 3, 2000.] [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=11518 "Niger: New prime minister sworn in"] , "IRIN", January 4, 2000.] asking them to temporarily go without their salaries as deputies.

As President of Niger, Tandja had to give up his position as President of the MNSD. Hamidou Sékou acted as interim president of the party [http://www.africatime.com/niger/nouvelle.asp?no_nouvelle=103200&no_categorie=1 "Les partis politiques nigériens, leurs leaders respectifs et les pratiques politiques inavouables"] , "La Roue de l'Histoire" (africatime.com), February 24 – March 1, 2004 fr icon.] until Amadou, who was until that point the party's Secretary-General, was elected as President of the MNSD on December 21 2001. [ [http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/OUEST/niger/pol/242pistepresidentielle.htm "En piste pour la prochaine présidentielle, Le Premier ministre Hama Amadou désigné président de son parti"] , "Afrique Express", January 2, 2002 fr icon.]

While Amadou was campaigning for the July 2004 municipal elections, the helicopter in which he was travelling reportedly crashed on July 14 2004 at Magaria in eastern Niger. Amadou survived the crash. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=qw1089833220104B261 "Niger PM survives helicopter crash - report"] , Sapa-AFP ("IOL"), July 14, 2004.] He refused to rely on UN's food aid in 2005, stating that the harvest was enough and that such aid was an insult to Niger's dignity. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4253060.stm "Niger food aid 'no longer needed'"] , "BBC News Online", 16 September 2005.]

2007 no-confidence vote

Amadou's government lost a no-confidence vote on May 31, 2007, with 62 deputies out of 113 deputies in favor of the motion. [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070531220651830C654284 "Niger's government dissolved"] , Associated Press ("Independent Online"), May 31, 2007.] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6710419.stm "Niger vote dissolves government"] , "BBC News Online", May 31, 2007.] The vote was prompted by allegations of corruption regarding embezzled funds that had been intended for education. [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34430 "Niger: Censure motion dismisses ruling govt."] , African Press Agency, May 31, 2007.] Although supported by the MNSD deputies, two other groups, including the CDS, joined the opposition Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) to form a majority against the government. Amadou submitted his government's resignation immediately afterward; he called the vote an "expression of democracy" while also noting that the government had survived past no-confidence votes.

As a result of the no-confidence vote, President Tandja Mamadou had the choice of naming a new prime minister or calling new elections. He named Seyni Oumarou, one of three candidates selected by parliament, as prime minister on June 3; Oumarou had previously been part of Amadou's government as Minister of State for Equipment. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=37133 "Niger: proche de son prédécesseur, Seyni Oumarou nommé Premier ministre"] , AFP ("Jeuneafrique.com"), June 3, 2007 fr icon.]

2008 corruption charges

Amadou retained his post as President of MNSD-Nassara, but in 2008 faced another challenge. The Gendarmerie National of Niger opened another investigation into the former prime minister, this time on charges he had embezzled 100 million F CFA (152,500 Euros) of foreign aid for independent press and communications development during the 2000 to 2006 period. Mamadou Tandja called a special session of the National Assembly on 14 June to examine the case, as all sitting members of parliament hold immunity from prosecution. While the men had previously been close political allies, with Amadou seen as Tandja's chosen successor, [ [http://www.afriquenligne.fr/une-demande-de-liberte-provisoire-de-hama-amadou-rejetee-2008082111210.html Une demande de liberté provisoire de Hama Amadou rejetée] PANA Press, 21 August 2008] their relationship had deteriorated over Amadou's years in power, and it was rumoured that the two had become rivals. Amadou publicly claimed that the charges were a "political plot" by portions of his own party. [ [http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL24555863.html Niger to try ex-prime minister on graft charges] , Reuters, Abdoulaye Massalatchi, 24 June 2008.] Amadou faced both a jail term and the loss of his right to hold political office in Niger if convicted. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7471123.stm "Niger clears way to charge ex-PM"] , BBC, 24 June 2008.]

A 14 member special panel examined the charges, and passed censure motions to the Assembly, which afer over 24 hours of debate, voted 72 to 28 to strip Amadou of his immunity, and passed the case on to the Nigerien High Court of Justice. On 26 June Amadou was arrested, and later transported to the civil prison at Koutoukaté, north of Niamey. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/niger/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN22068lesmauodama0 Les malheurs d’Hama Amadou] , Jeune Afrique, Cherif Ouazani, 22 June 2008.] His first appearance before the "commission d’instruction" of the High Court was pushed back from 29 July to 6 August, at which time his request for release on bail was rejected by Bouba Mahamane, the "procureur général" of the High Court. In early August Zinder and Tillaberi sections of the MNSD proposed that Amadou be removed as party President. Amadou, his legal team, and his remaining supporters with the MNSD-Nassara have charged the president and the government with inventing these charges to prevent Amadou from standing as a presidential candidate in the December 2009 election. They point to the removal of two of his political allies, Amadou Sala and Omar Hamidou Tchiana, from high political posts since Amadou's arrest. [Jean-Baptiste Marot, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/niger/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN10088laffauodama0 "L’affaire Hama Amadou"] , "Jeune Afrique", 10 August 2008.]

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