The international community has
spoken against violence, intimidation and vote-buying as campaigns for the 2019
elections kicked off on Sunday.
The international community also
called for campaigns devoid of hate speech.
They further pointed out that the
Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, must be allowed to operate freely,
adding that the commission must demonstrate neutrality and professionalism.
The International Community also
reiterated its commitment to supporting democracy in Nigeria, urging political
and non-political actors to take a firm stance against violence.
Signatories to a statement in
Abuja yesterday include the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), France,
Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Austria and Bulgaria. Others
were Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia,
Spain and Sweden.
It reads, “As friends of Nigeria
and its people, we will follow the campaigns and election process closely. Who
wins the elections is for the Nigerian people to decide. Our concern is to see
a process leading to free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.
“We hope to see transparent
campaigns and we urge all voters to use their democratic right and vote. We are
particularly keen to see greater participation of women, youth and people
living with disabilities.
“We urge all involved, political
and non-political actors, to refrain from using hate speech and take a firm
stance against violence.
“The 2015 Peace Accords played an
important role in that regard and we welcome new efforts towards that end. We
were gravely concerned over widespread incidents of intimidation, interference
and vote-buying during the recent gubernatorial elections.
“We were also perturbed by
irregularities and violence during party primaries, and noted with particular
concern, that several women candidates were disenfranchised.”
“We reiterate the importance of
INEC as it fulfils its constitutional role. INEC must be allowed to operate
free from outside pressure and intimidation, and in turn must demonstrate full
neutrality and professionalism.
“We encourage that adequate
funding is swiftly facilitated for INEC and supporting institutions and, we
hope to see the entry, into force, of improvements to the Electoral Act, as
soon as possible.
“We wish to draw particular
attention to the fundamental role of the security agencies in providing a safe
and secure environment for the Nigerian people to exercise their democratic
rights.
“It is vital that security
agencies act, and are seen to act, in an impartial manner that maintains the
high standards of professional conduct.
“We strongly support the
principle of media freedom and the vital role the independent media plays in
ensuring informed public debate.
“We also stress the importance of
balanced, neutral and non-defamatory coverage.”
“We encourage Nigeria and its
people to consolidate and deepen democracy, building on the standards set in
2015.”
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete