115. On the right to leave the country, the only restrictions which may be imposed concern persons who are the subject of legal proceedings on account of which the examining magistrate has ordered the withholding of their travelling document for reasons connected to the investigation. 116. Whatever the case, only the legal authorities have the power to forbid people to leave the country. No one can be prevented from returning to his country. L. Right to Participate in the Government of One’s Country and Access to Public Property and Services: Article 13 117. The Constitution guarantees the enjoyment of civil and political rights, subject to compliance with the legal conditions for the enjoyment of those rights. Article 7 provides that “suffrage may be direct or indirect. It shall be universal, free, fair and secret. Nigeriens of the two (2) sexes, who have attained the age of 18 by the day of voting or emancipated minors who enjoy civil and political rights shall qualify to vote.” Article 9 of the Constitution states that “As part of the freedom of association recognized and guaranteed by this Constitution, political parties, groups of political parties, unions, nongovernmental organizations and other associations or groups of associations shall be formed and carry out their activities freely in accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations. The parties and groups of political parties shall participate in the expression of suffrage. The same prerogatives shall be recognized for every Nigerien who enjoys civil and political rights and meets the eligibility conditions provided for by law.” 118. 119. In accordance with the principle of full multipartyism and that of the freedom of association, the number of political parties in Niger continues to rise; as at 14 August 2019, it stood at one hundred and twenty-two (122). 120. Indeed, Article 6 of the Constitution provides for an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) responsible for the organization, conduct and supervision of the voting process and declaration of provisional results. Organic Law No. 2017-64 of 14 August 2017 on the electoral code provides that the INEC is permanent, independent of any authority or organization and enjoys autonomy with regard to its management, organization and operations. 121. Since it was established on 3 November 2017 and its members took the oath of office on 13 November of the same year, the Independent National Electoral Commission has been providing rigorous, competent, professional and transparent leadership for the electoral process. Thus, the citizens of Niger, who are at the centre of the electoral process, will have their names entered into the biometric voters’ register in 2019 and will freely exercise their right to vote during the 2020/2021 local and general elections. Voter registration activities started on 15 October 2019. 122. The major challenge facing the INEC, therefore, continues to be the compilation of a reliable and secure biometric voters’ register and the holding of credible, transparent and democratic elections. These elections will ensure the strengthening of the institutions of State and the first democratic change since independence was attained. 123. The INEC’s budget allocation depends on the number of elections to be held in the year. For the various elections scheduled to be held in the country between 2019 and 2020, i.e. the municipal, presidential, regional or even parliamentary elections, a little over FCFA 87 billion has been budgeted. These funds have been distributed as follows: FCFA 42.7 billion for the new 34