POLLS opened in Niger on Sunday for the election of 2053 local, municipal and regional officials, the last phase of the West African country’s process of restoration democratic insitutions. President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara and his government voted at Niamey town hall when polling stations opened. The government has warned against troublemaking and cautioned foreign oberservers and diplomats not to comment on the poll before voting ends at 7.00pm. Some four million citizens are eligible to elect the officials from around 18000 candidates.