Niger's president wins presidential elections

Niger's President Mamadou Tandja was re-elected in general elections, preliminary results of the second-round votes showed Tuesday.

Tandja received 65.53 percent of the votes in Saturday's runoffvote and Mahamadou Issoufou, whose party, the Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), controls the biggest share of seats in parliament, received 34.47 percent, the national election commission announced Tuesday night.

Tandja is the only head of state of the country to complete a presidential term since the first democratic elections were held in 1993, after his three predecessors were either ousted or assassinated.

The commission said about 5.25 million people registered in Saturday's election.

Niger, a former French colony, gained independence in 1960. On April 9, 1999, President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was assassinated.His successor, Major Daouda Malam Wane, led a transitional government until an election was held and won by Tandja in December 1999.

On Saturday, the country also held parliamentary elections, butthe results have not been announced.

Source: Xinhua