NIAMEY, Niger, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Niger's first presidential election since the ouster of Mamadou Tandja a year ago was running smoothly amid long lines and tight security, observers said.
Opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou and former Prime Ministers Seini Oumarou and Hama Amadou were considered favorites on the 10-person ballot, the BBC reported.
A military coup drove Tandja from office after he was criticized for seeking a third term.
A candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to be elected outright in the first round, otherwise a runoff is called, the BBC said. Oumarou and Amadou, both prime ministers under Tandja, each pledged to back the other if one of them advances to a second round of voting.
In October, Niger passed a new constitution that, among other things, shrinks the powers of future presidents and sets a two-term limit for the office.
