From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:NIGERIA: ELECTORAL BODY SETS OPTIONS FOR CLEAN POLLS
Date: 12 Nov 92 21:38:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.BxMHFF.2IL
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Opecna Morning Transmission
Title: NIGERIA: ELECTORAL BODY SETS OPTIONS FOR CLEAN POLLS


an inter press service feature

by toye olori

lagos, nov 5 (ips) -- with nigeria's transition to civilian rule
bogged down by election irregularities, the country's military
rulers are determined to work out a fraud-free path for the
electorate.

the armed forces ruling council (afrc) is due to meet monday
in the west african nation's new capital, abuja, to decide on a
voting pattern that will ensure a fair game in presidential
elections scheduled for dec. 5.

the national electoral commission (nec) has put forward a
set of options for the council to choose a voting system that is
acceptable to the people after nigeria's head of state, general
ibrahim babangida, twice nullified presidential primaries.

if approved by the military council, the open secret ballot
will be applied instead of the old procedure whereby voters
queued behind candidates of their choice.

the system had been in practice since the beginning of
nigeria's transition programme in december last year when
civilian governors took office.

under the system, electoral officers called out names of
voters in the presence of police and polling agents representing
different candidates.

but affluent nigerians found it difficult to fall in behind
their favourite candidates and complained that the system
''deprived'' them of their civic right.

nigeria's last presidential primaries were cancelled oct. 6
on grounds of ''gross electoral malpractices''.

if the proposed system is approved by the afrc, voters will
line up in a single file irrespective of party affiliation. each
will be given a ballot-paper bearing symbols of nigeria's only
two political parties -- social democratic party (sdp) and
national republican convention (nrc).

voters will move in turns to a voting table and thumb the
preferred symbol of a candidate before dropping the vote into a
ballot-box in full of all present.

''i am happy that nec did not recommend the secret ballot
system. i advocated all along for a modification of the open
ballot to forestall intimidation of voters whille queuing'',
says babagana kingibe, former sdp national chair. (more/ips)


nigeria: electoral (2)

kingibe suggests that collation centres should be left open
so that people can see election results being analysed.

''results of elections are always tampered with at these
centres by officials because of the secrecy used while collating
results'', kingibe told journalists here wednesday.

apart from the open secret ballot, nec has also come up with
eight other options for selection of presidential candidates
from the two parties.

according to nec, presidential candidates could be nominated
either through local government or state congresses.
alternatively the national convention could pick names to
contest general elections.

''nigeria is in an unusual time which requires
non-conventional political approach to secure its unity,
cohension and stability'', nec chair humphrey nwosu says.

but political observers, who had been sceptical about the
jan. 2, 1993 time-limit for the military to hand over power to a
civilian administration, say the nec proposals will stretch the
transition period months beyond that date.

receiving the nec documents, babangida has reiterated his
administration's desire not to hand over the mantle of
leadership to a fraudulently elected president.

''what we want is to do the best we can to hand over to a
democratically elected president and not to throw over to a
fraudulently elected president'', he emphasised.

critics of the military regime maintain that babangida's
remark was an indirect way of saying the handing over date is
unrealistic.

supporting the nec proposal for nomination of presidential
candidates, kingibe said: ''i am for any option that allows for
greater participation so that people can have a say in the
choice of their flag-bearers. i am for a system that will
minimise the use of money''. (end/ips/to/ar/92)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african