Calls for strike in Niger
2009-06-29 17:55
Niamey - Niger's opposition called for a nationwide lockdown on Wednesday to protest against plans by President Mamadou Tandja to change the constitution to allow him to run for a third five-year term.
"We call on all Nigerians of all socio-professional backgrounds to observe a general strike," the main opposition Front for the Defence for Democracy (FDD) said in a statement.
The appeal was broadcast by several private radio stations.
"We have chosen Wednesday because it coincides with the African Union summit," in Libya, said FDD official Amadou Mahamadou.
Interior Minister Albade Abouba said on Sunday a constitutional referendum will go ahead despite the opposition and he warned that opponents who call for mass resistance to the plan would have to take the consequences.
'Paralyse the country'
The FDD said it wanted Wednesday's strike to paralyse the country. Banks, markets and public transport have been called on to shut down. The group said it would organise a protest meeting in the capital Niamey on July 4.
The FDD is one of three main opposition groups, along with non-governmental organisations and the labour unions, opposed to Tandja's plans to hold a referendum in defiance of the country's Constitutional Court.
Tandja, a 71-year-old retired army colonel on Friday claimed emergency powers after the court refused to reverse a ruling outlawing his referendum plan.
The president said he was taking the step "because the independence of the country is threatened".
The opposition on Saturday slammed the move and called for mass resistance, including an appeal to the army not to obey orders.
- SAPA