NIAMEY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 (CISA) – Niger’s election committee on November 15 admitted to errors in its electoral lists three months before a presidential election.
“There are failings in the voter lists,” said Sabiou Gaya, deputy coordinator for the election committee, adding some of the errors included enrolment mistakes and missing polling booths, reported Reuters.
The admission confirms earlier complaints made by the opposition and comes two weeks after thousands of people marched to protests against vote preparations, demanding an audit from President Mahamadou Issoufou’s government.
According to Gaya corrections are expected to be completed by November 22 officially, the final list was due to be handed to the Independent National Electoral Commission by end-October.
President Issoufou who has been in power since 7 April 2011 is widely expected to seek a second five-year term in February 2016 and is the current favorite, with the opposition fragmented and one leader in jail.
On November 14, Niger opposition leader Hama Amadou was arrested a year after he fled the country when sought by investigators probing a child trafficking ring. He has denied the charges and claims they are politically motivated.
