Tandja party claims win in boycotted Niger vote

By Abdoulaye Massalatchi

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger's ruling party claimed victory on Thursday in a parliamentary poll that has cost the West African nation membership in the regional bloc and deepened its president's pariah status.

President Mamadou Tandja's MNSD party said it had won more than half of 113 seats in parliament, an outcome widely expected by observers after opposition parties boycotted the election.

The majority win tightens Tandja's grip on power in the uranium producing desert nation, where he has already prolonged his stint in charge and scrapped term limits by altering the constitution.

The election led West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS this week to suspend Niger's membership, a move that follows a European Union aid freeze in July.

The government in Niamey has shrugged off criticism that it is undermining democracy, saying regional powers have "misunderstood" the political situation in the country.

Tandja has said he needs broad power to oversee the country's multi-billion dollar mining contracts.

Preliminary results early on Thursday showed the MNSD had won 21 of 25 seats announced. Complete results of the election are not yet available.

"From the results that we have already processed, I estimate that we had a good turnout as it was between 40 and 50 percent," said Moumouni Hamidou, president of the election commission.