Fifth Republic
Since 1999, the CDS has been in an alliance with the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD), forming part of the parliamentary majority and participating in the government. Ousmane is the President of the National Assembly. In the presidential election of 16 November 2004, Ousmane was the CDS candidate for the fourth time, winning third place and 17.4% of the vote. In the parliamentary election held on 4 December 2004, the party won 17.4% of the popular vote and 22 out of 113 seats. Following the election, MNSD-Nassara] resumed its previous ruling coalition with junior partner CDS-Rahama whose 22 seats give the President and Prime Minister 69 seat majority in the National Assembly.
Former President of Niger and current leader of CDS-Rahama, Mahamane Ousmane, was elected by the National Assembly the President of the National Assembly on 29 December 1999, a post to which he was re-elected in 2004.
The CDS held its sixth congress on September 1, 2007.
On 25 June 2009, after President of Niger Mamadou Tandja dismissed the National Assembly over his plans to hold a constitutional referendum, the CDS announced its final break with the MNSD government. The party withdrew from the government coalition and pulled its eight members from the Nigerien Council of Ministers. In a statement, the CDS demanded the President definitively submit to the Court's decision. The party also announced the creation of its own opposition coalition, the Mouvement pour le défense de le démocratie (MDD) along with around five smaller parties such as the UDR and the PDP. This group appears in direct competition with the larger opposition front, the Front de défense de la démocratie (FDD), which is led by the PNDS and staged the two recent anti-referendum marches in Niamey.
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