Niger Okays Controversial 'voters Without ID' On Eve Of Poll

Thanks! Share it with your friends!

You disliked this video. Thanks for the feedback!

Published Feb 21, 2016

Voting in Niger has kicked off in an election in which President Mahamadou Issoufou is running for a second term. The 64-year-old incumbent is running against 14 other cadndidates. He campaigned on the promise to crush Islamist militants and develop the economy in one of the world's poorest countries. The vote comes amidst raging controversy over a judicial approval for voters to cast their ballots without identity papers, sparking an opposition outcry on Saturday. The proposal, submitted by the government, allows people to vote without any ID as long as they are accompanied by two people who vouch for their identity. The opposition had challenged the proposal in court but the Constitutional Court on Saturday rejected the opposition's request. The move affects about 1.5 million of the 7.5 million registered voters who were found not to have any identity papers.