NIAMEY, Niger, May 27 (UPI) -- Niger President Mamadou Tandja is being accused by lawmakers of intending a power grab after dissolving the country's Parliament.

Tandja took the step Tuesday after the Constitutional Court rejected his bid to serve a third term and thwarted his intention to hold a referendum to allow him to lift the country's term limit. He is in the last year of his second five-year term.

Lawmakers such as Abdullahi Jauri labeled Tandja's action a government takeover and vowed they would stage protests against him, Voice of America reported.

"Now for the ambition of one person who wants to go beyond his two-term mandate, we are now very worried about the future of Niger because anything can happen," Jauri told the network.

"Right now it is like a civilian coup d'etat."

Tandja says Niger's population wants him to remain in power. He says he intends to end a rebel insurgency that has weakened the country