ECOWAS To Deploy 90 Observers To Monitor Sunday's Elections In Niger

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2020) The Western African ECOWAS regional bloc on Tuesday said it will send a 90-strong election observation mission to monitor the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in Niger.

"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is deploying an Election Observation Mission of 90 observers, including 10 in the long term and 80 in the short term, to observe the presidential election coupled with the legislative elections this Sunday, December 27, 2020 in Niger," the bloc's statement said.

It also specified that Nigeria's former vice-president, Namadi Sambo, would lead the observation mission.

The ECOWAS, comprising 15 nations in West Africa, has a mandate to deploy observers to member states during presidential elections "to ensure democratic convergence across the region."

The presidential election in Niger will be held in two rounds, with 30 candidates validated for the first round scheduled for Sunday. Outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou, who has served two terms, is not running for re-election.

During the legislative elections, voters will elect 171 members of the unicameral National Assembly.