BELGIUM: Niger Prime Minister Ali Badjo Gamatie pledges consultation with all political parties

Record ID: 235032

  • Title: BELGIUM: Niger Prime Minister Ali Badjo Gamatie pledges consultation with all political parties
  • Date: 9th December 2009
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 8, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL DELEGATION WITH NIGER PRIME MINISTER ALI BADJO GAMATIE COMING OUT AFTER MEETING WITH EUROPEAN UNION (EU) REPRESENTATIVE GAMATIE WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA EU FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER PRIME MINISTER ALI BADJO GAMATIE SAYING: ''We talked a lot about Niger and human rights, freedom of press, harassment of political parties. I would like to take the opportunity of using your microphone to say that at this very moment, contrary to what has been said here or there, we do not have political prisoners in Niger, no human rights activist in jail, no journalist in jail in Niger and there is no riot, people are not on the streets in Niger. Unfortunately, it happened that I really mishandled my job to communicate as Prime Minister, I shall assume the responsibility for this, and that means that the image of Niger is not what it should be.'' DELEGATION AND GAMATIE STANDING MEMBERS OF DELEGATION STANDING JOURNALIST WRITING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER PRIME MINISTER ALI BADJO GAMATIE SAYING: ''We decided and we will firmly go towards an inclusive national dialogue. Each party will be able to put elements on the table and we will see, I cannot guess the results beforehand, but all parties have said they want this dialogue and all partners decided to support this dialogue and one way to support this dialogue is to prevent the creation of a parallel process with a pre-set agenda and some pre-set results.'' GAMATIE LEAVING GENERAL ABDULSALAMI ABUBAKAR FROM NIGERIA, THE MEDIATOR IN NIGER TALKS (ALSO ECOWAS MEDIATOR) MEMBERS OF DELEGATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL ABDULSALAMI ABUBAKAR, MEDIATOR IN NIGER TALKS, SAYING: ''I must say all around the government of Niger and indeed also the opposition have all said that they want a dialogue. So I hope we will now be able to sort out the venue for the dialogue and then continue with the dialogue. So far I am doing consultations with the stakeholders and I believe by next week or even this week I pray that the dialogue commence.'' ABUBAKAR LEAVING EU LOGO
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5542VL9OGAB2CWPT80MEQK2WF
  • Story Text: Niger Prime Minister Ali Badjo Gamatie on Tuesday (December 8) led a delegation to Brussels, Belgium start consultations about his country's political situation with the European Union (EU).
    The EU has expressed concerns about Niger's constitutional crisis and opened consultation talks on November 3 to express ''its condemnation of the political situation'' there.
    The visit of Gamatie was a first step in this consultation process.
    The EU said the political situation and constitutional upheavals in Niger constitute a ''flagrant violation of the essential elements set out in the Cotonou agreement.'' Gamatie met with Joachim Stymne, a deputy minister at the Swedish foreign affairs ministry.
    Sweden is the country currently holding the EU's rotating presidency.
    As he left the meeting, Gamatie defended his country's human rights records.
    ''We talked a lot about Niger and human rights, freedom of press, harassment of political parties. I would like to take the opportunity of using your microphone to say that at this very moment, contrary to what has been said here or there, we do not have political prisoners in Niger, no human rights activist in jail, no journalist in jail in Niger and there is no riot, people are not on the streets in Niger. Unfortunately, it happened that I really mishandled my job to communicate as Prime Minister, I shall assume the responsibility for this, and that means that the image of Niger is not what it should be,'' Gamatie said.
    Gamatie pledged to start political dialogue with all political parties in Niger.
    ''We decided and we will firmly go towards an inclusive national dialogue. Each party will be able to put elements on the table and we will see, I cannot guess the results beforehand, but all parties have said they want this dialogue and all partners decided to support this dialogue,'' Gamatie said.
    Niger has also pledged the suspension of all pending judicial actions against members of the opposition, the European Union said.
    In addition, Niger has agreed to discuss the conditions for the forthcoming local elections including their possible deferral, consolidate the right to freedom of expression and adopt good governance measures, the EU said.
    The European Union said it welcome the proposals of Niger and will be monitoring progress.
    Ecowas mediator, the general Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former president of Nigeria, said he expected the dialogue to start as early as this week or next.
    ''I believe by next week or even this week I pray that the dialogue commence,'' Abubakar said.
    The consultation process can last up to 120 days from November 3, the EU Council said.
    If Niger doesn't offer satisfactory answers, the EU would ''impose appropriate measures'', the EU Council said.
    World bodies have heaped criticism on Mamadou Tandja, president of the uranium-exporting nation, for earlier this year rewriting his country's constitution to give himself more power and extend his term in office without an election that had been due this month.
    Prior to the change in Niger's constitution, Tandja's mandate had been set to end on the completion of his second term in December.
    The United Nations, African Union, European Union, the United States and former colonial power France have all criticised Tandja's plan to retain his grip on the presidency, which Niger's constitutional court said was unlawful.
    The former army colonel was democratically elected in the country's first multiparty elections in 1999 - after the previous government was overthrown in a coup.
    In June this year Tandja suspended government and conducted a constitutional referendum in August that would allow him to remain in power despite international criticism.
    At the start of November, the EU froze part of the development aid to Niger in protest at what it said was a "grave violation" of constitutional rule.
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