The European Union Ele-ction Observation Mission (EU-EOM), which monitored the last April polls, formally presented its report to the public yesterday, with a recommendation that all electoral officials at each level of the election administration should be recruited through a transparent process.
This, according to the mission, should be through �public job vacancy advertisements free from political interference.�
In the report, the EU-EOM had condemned the 2007 elections alleging that they lacked transparency.
The mission had also upbraided the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the poll.
Chief Mission Observer and Head of EU in Nigeria, Mr. Marx Van de Berg, who presented the report to newsmen in Abuja, said he and the countries of the EU were extremely disappointed by the conduct of the April elections.
“The 2007 elections fell far short of basic international and regional standards for democratic elections,” he said.
Van de Berg, who said that the report was two in parts, declared that “First, the 2007 election process was not credible, in view of the lack of transparency and evidence of fraud, there can be no confidence in the results and the second part of the report urges urgent and comprehensive reform to improve the framework and conduct of future elections.”
The EU- EOM came up with an 81-point recommendation on how to ensure credible and acceptable polls in future.
Among other recommendations, the mission said, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2006, the Federal Government should swiftly establish a fund of sufficient size to ensure INEC�s financial independence.
�INEC�s financial accounts should be thoroughly audited by a private audit firm to deter and detect financial misconduct. INEC meetings should be open to political parties and accredited observers. Agendas, minutes of its meetings and decisions should be published on its website in a timely manner. INEC should hold regular consultative meetings at national, state and local level with political parties and civil society organisations. This should include forums with the participation of security agencies,� the mission said.
On independent candidacy, EU- EOM said the legal provision, which prevents independent candidates from contesting elections should be removed.
The mission also frowned at indictment as a ground for disqualification saying such should be reviewed �in the light of potential for abuse and victimisation of political opponents.�
The indictment by an Administrative Panel of Enquiry set up by the Federal Government under the immediate past president Olusegun Obasanjo had first put spanners in the work for former vice president Atiku Abubakar in his bid to contest the last presidential election.
Atiku, however, contested the poll following a Supreme Court judgment that he should be put on the ballot. EU-EOM also recommended that appropriate checks and balances be introduced to prevent such political victimisation.
On executive immunity, the mission said the scope of immunity provisions that apply to the President and Vice President should be reviewed with the aim of removing blanket immunity.
Van de Berg said, “it is essential that Nigeria authorities immediately begin to take steps to improve the electoral framework and demonstrate sufficient political will to ensure that the next presidential and parliamentary elections are held in full compliance with international and regional standards.
“In this regard, our report contains detailed recommendations, which we hope will be seriously considered by all stakeholders. These concerns various issues, including the need to establish an independent and capable election administration, improve the voter register, ensure secrecy of the ballot, enhance transparency of the process and establish better procedures for complaints and petitions,” he said.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Chief Observer Mission said EU-EOM was not happy that INEC was yet to compile the report of the election, stating that Nigerians were victims of the fraud called 2007 elections.
Reacting to the allegation by the Senate President, Senator David Mark, that EU-EOM was out to destabilize Nigeria, Berg said, “we are not out to destabilize your country.
�President Yar�Adua in his speech acknowledged that there were shortcomings with the elections. It is because of this shortcoming that the government raised a panel. We are not out to destabilise the country. INEC should stop denials, if all is well, there won�t be any reform committee.”
Van de Berg also took up issues with INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who claimed the mission violated all known international rules.
“Rather, we obeyed all known rules,” he said.
The chief mission of EU-EOM also said any one aggrieved with the last elections was free to tender the report as evidence at the tribunal, stating, “It is up to Nigerians on what they want to do.”
But INEC said the report was intended to incite Nigerians, thus rekindling the recriminations between it and the mission.
INEC Commissioner for Information and Publicity, Barrister Phillip Umeadi, said, “it is shocking and fall short of what is expected of a well -established body.
“There is a code for international observers and what the EU-EOM did was a breach. No election can be separated from the socio-cultural background of the host country. Elections must be free from multi or bilateral bias of a country. It is the people of a country that determine the legitimacy of any election.
�We have a letter dated April 25 by the EU-EOM expressing appreciation on the conduct of the elections in Sokoto and Kebbi state.”
In the letter read by Umeadi, he said that EU-EOM group described the elections in Sokoto and Kebbi state as free and fair.
Umeadi said that the EU-EOM report was a “clear evidence to incite and not in tandem with the principles of international election observations.”
The INEC Commissioner also said “we are not obliged by any means to take their report. We did not invite them, but we will accommodate them in future. This report by EU is prejudicial because this is coming when the tribunals are on and some of the petitions so far have been dismissed by the tribunals.”
“It is there report and it is no longer relevant. The tribunals are sitting. It is the tribunal that will determine whether the elections are marred by irregularities or not. We are not worried by this indictment. We have set up our plans on areas we need to improve. I have read the EU reports; there are quite a lot of errors. INEC don�t need to be the fall guy.” Umeadi said.
Aug242007