The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (french: Parti Nigerien pour la Democratie et le Socialisme, PNDS-Tarayya) is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesleft-leaning party, part of the

Socialist International The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisation ...

, and since 2011 it has been in power following the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...

of its long-time leader,

Mahamadou Issoufou Mahamadou Issoufou (born 1 January 1952) is a Nigerien politician who served as the President of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. Issoufou was the prime minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 t ...

, as president. Mohamed Bazoum is President of the PNDS, and its Secretary-General is Foumakoye Gado. "Tarayya" means "gathering" in the

Hausa language Hausa (; /; Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken by the Hausa people in the northern half of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern half of Niger, Chad and Sudan, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast. Hausa is a mem ...

History

Third Republic

Established on December 23, 1990, the party won 13 of the 83 seats in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

in the February 1993 parliamentary elections."The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic"
Unisa Press, Politeia, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1996. five of which were won in Issoufou's home department of

Tahoua Department Tahoua is a department of the Tahoua Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Tahoua Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.presidential elections A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The pre ...

that followed, the first-multi-party election for the presidency, PNDS leader Mahamadou Issoufou, finished in third place with 15.92% of the vote in the first round.Elections in Niger
African Elections Database. As part of a coalition called the

Alliance of the Forces of Change The Alliance of the Forces of Change (in french: Alliance des forces du changement, AFC) was one of the two large political coalitions which contested for power in Niger from 1991 to 1996. Formation The AFC was formed following the end of military ...

, the PNDS backed Mahamane Ousmane of the

Democratic and Social Convention The Democratic and Social Convention - Rahama (french: Convention démocratique et sociale-Rahama, CDS-Rahama) is a political party in Niger. History It was founded in January 1991. In the February 1993 parliamentary elections the party won 22 ...

(CDS) in the second round, with Ousmane defeating Tandja Mamadou of the

National Movement for the Development of Society The National Movement for the Development of Society (french: Mouvement National pour la Société du Développement, MNSD-Nassara) is a political party in Niger. Founded under the military government of the 1974–1990 period, it was the ruling ...

(MNSD). In the National Assembly, the PNDS formed part of the AFC majority, and Issoufou was appointed Prime Minister. In a decree issued on 21 September 1994, Ousmane strengthened his powers at the expense of those of the Prime Minister, and Issoufou resigned on 28 September. The PNDS was unwilling to put forward another candidate to take Issoufou's place and withdrew from the AFC, thereby depriving the AFC of its parliamentary majority. The PNDS then formed an alliance with the opposition MNSD despite its history of hostility toward that party; Adji Kirgam and Mazou Ibrahim, two PNDS leaders who opposed this alliance, were expelled from the party. The loss of the AFC's majority led to an early parliamentary elections in January 1995, which saw the PNDS win 12 seats and the MNSD–PNDS alliance, together with two minor groups, gained a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

Hama Amadou Hama Amadou (born 1949) is a Nigerien politician who was Prime Minister of Niger from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2007. He was also Secretary-General of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD-Nassara) from 1991 to 20 ...

of the MNSD became Prime Minister while Issoufou became President of the National Assembly. This situation involved

cohabitation Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...

between the new government and President Ousmane, and intense rivalry developed between them. In January 1996, the military under

Ibrahim Bare Mainassara Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people w ...

seized power in a coup.

Military rule and Fourth Republic

In the July 1996 presidential elections, won by Mainassara in the first round, the PNDS candidate Issoufou officially finished in fourth place with 7.60% of the vote. Along with other opposition parties, grouped together as the Front for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy, the PNDS boycotted the November 1996 parliamentary elections.

Fifth Republic

Following another coup in April 1999, Issoufou finished second in the first round of the presidential contest in the general elections held later in the year, receiving 22.79% of the vote. In the second round he received 40.11% of the vote and was defeated by Tandja. In the parliamentary elections, the PNDS won 16 of the 83 seats in the National Assembly, ,

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie The (OIF; sometimes shortened to the Francophonie, french: La Francophonie , but also called International Organisation of in English-language context) is an international organization representing countries and regions where French is a ...

. becoming the largest opposition party. In the 2004 general elections, Issoufou was the party's presidential candidate again. He finished second in the first round of voting with 24.6% of the vote, and was defeated again by Tandja in the second round. In the parliamentary elections, the PNDS received 13.4% of the vote and won 17 of the 113 seats; eight additional seats were won by alliances of the PNDS with the

Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally The Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally (, PPN-RDA) is a political party in Niger. It was the leading political party of the pre-independence era, becoming the sole legal party of the First Republic (1960–1974). It was led ...

, the Nigerien Self-Management Party, the

Union of Independent Nigeriens The Union of Independent Nigeriens (, UNI) is a political party in Niger. History The UNI was established on 17 May 1999. In the October 1999 general elections it nominated Amadou Ali Djibo as its presidential candidate; he finished last in a ...

and the Union for Democracy and the Republic.

Sixth Republic

The party boycotted the 2009 parliamentary elections.Elections in Niger
African Elections Database

Seventh Republic

The party did contest the 2011 general elections, with Issoufou elected president in the second round, defeating Seyni Oumarou of the MNSD, whilst it emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly, winning 34 of the 113 seats. Issoufou was re-elected in the 2016 general elections amidst a second-round boycott by his opponent

. The PNDS retained its status as the largest party in the National Assembly, winning 75 seats in an expanded 171-seat body.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

National Assembly elections

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 1990 establishments in Niger Democratic socialist parties in Africa Full member parties of the Socialist International Political parties established in 1990 Political parties in Niger Progressive Alliance Social democratic parties in Africa Socialism in Niger