The Commonwealth and the United States (U.S.) government yesterday listed their expectations from Nigerian politicians as the first leg of the country's general elections take off on Saturday.
Through its Observer Group to the 2011 National Assembly and presidential elections, the Commonwealth said both the African region and the international community look up to Nigeria to get it right at the April polls by ensuring that the entire exercise is fair and credible.
Chairman of the group and former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, urged Nigerian politicians not to make the race a do or die contest.
Also, the U.S. appealed to Nigerian politicians to avoid promoting the culture of violence at the polls.
While declaring that Washington does not support any candidate for the polls, Political-Military Affairs Officer at the American Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Max Kendrick, said "Nigeria needed to use the opportunity of the elections to get things right."
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has equally called on candidates to shun violence, intimidation, and other abuses. It also urged them insulate the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigeria police from political interference during elections.
To the elective office seekers and the electorate, Mogae said: "Those of us who are qualified to vote should go and vote. That is what we are looking for, so that the leaders who emerge would have been elected freely and fairly by the people of Nigeria in the expectation that next time around, those who could not make it this time will win, because you cannot win all the time, but you cannot also lose all the time. In some cases, you win some and lose the others."
On the orgy of political violence, Mogae said: "I am concerned about the elections, I'm apprehensive, but I choose to believe that the credibility of the elections will not necessarily be affected by the isolated violent incidences."
According to him, Nigeria's election is important to West Africa, the sub-Saharan Africa as well as the whole world; and as such, "it is imperative that the electoral process is transparent, fair, violence free and credible.
"Our task is to observe and report on relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the elections and also on the environment in which the elections are held. The group will consider all the factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole, and assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Nigeria has committed itself, with reference to its own election-related legislation as well as relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international commitments," he said.
Members of the Commonwealth Observer Group are former politicians, electoral experts, representatives of civil society, academia, youth and the media; chosen in their individual capacities and not as representatives of any government.
Other areas to be considered in the observation of the election in Nigeria are whether or not, conditions exist for free and competitive elections, the electoral commission is independent and effective, whether or not the voter register provides for universal suffrage, state institutions and public media are impartial, whether voters are free to express their will and the result of the process transparent.
The group promised to be impartial, objective and independent in order to help Nigeria to further strengthen its democratic process.
On the pockets of violence that have occurred in certain parts of the country, Mogae expressed the hope that it will not mar the election process. "Of course, every right-thinking person should be worried about pre-election violence, including yourselves (the media). I know this, but I'm worried about the elections proper. Violence will, to the extent that it occurs, mar the elections, but I'm hopeful that the level of violence will be contained such that the overall elections will be credible.
"Therefore, we should not be too excited and take isolated incidences of violence as affecting the outcome of the whole elections. I grant the possibility that in those isolated areas, they may have an effect on the quality of the outcome there, but I do not think that it will affect the outcome of the elections in the rest of the country.
"We hope that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can set the example by displaying integrity, impartiality and technical competence. We look to the political parties to respect the rules of the game, to focus on the issues and to reject violence. The media and civil society need to be diligent custodians of democracy. We look to the people of Nigeria to show the way by participating in large numbers in the democratic process and choosing freely and fairly, those who will govern them," he said.
Noting that electoral violence threatens to undermine the process and democratic institutions and must be avoided, Kendrick said at a Youth Conference on Non-Violence and Peaceful Elections in Abuja yesterday, that democracy was more than a formal counting of votes.
"Both Nigerians and the international community will judge the quality of this election by more than what happens on election day. Democracy is also about the freedom of all parties to campaign, meet with supporters, appeal to new voters and deliver political messages to the electorate, doing so without the threat of violence or intimidation.
"Democracy is about sharing ideas and stimulating open public discussion on the future of one's country. Democracy is about upholding principles that are greater than any individual person and respecting the will of those who confer democratic legitimacy: the people of Nigeria."
He emphasised that success of the election was not the sole duty of the Nigerian government, noting that representative and accountable government could only occur when citizens empower themselves by participating fully and actively in the democratic process, ensuring that their votes count.
To the youths, he said: "You represent the majority in this country, and you all have individual decisions to make about where you want to be in the next five to 10 years. But you have an equally important collective decision about where you want Nigeria to be in the next decade. Go out and vote. Choose wisely. Make your voices heard."
The Team Leader of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement, Mr. Sasom Itodo, stressed the need for youths to take their destinies into their hands and avoid being used as agents of violence by politicians.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also urged them to evolve measures on accountability for electoral and election-related offenses, and ensure that those found to have orchestrated or committed election-related violence are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in full compliance with domestic and international law.
In a special report on the Nigeria's election made available to The Guardian yesterday, HRW said it was essential that candidates propose measures for improving transparency and financial oversight of the use of public funds by state and local governments in the Niger Delta, publicly affirm their commitment to ensuring that any politician implicated in the theft of public funds in the area is investigated and prosecuted.
"All candidates seeking public office in the April 2011 elections to acknowledge the scale of the human rights challenges and crisis of governance facing the country. They should address these serious problems as central to their campaigns. They should publicly explain, in debates, rallies, and campaign platforms, their plans for addressing the human rights issues set out below, and implement these proposed reforms if they are elected," it said.
Source: C'Wealth, U.S. caution politicians on poor polls conduct (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43097:cwealth-us-caution-politicians-on-poor-polls-conduct&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)