PUNCH

Federal Government may split INEC

function submitCCCForm(){ PopUp = window.open(”, ‘_Icon’,'location=no,toolbar=no,status=no,width=650,height=550,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes’); this.document.cccform.submit(); }

By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja

Published: Friday, 12 Dec 2008

If the Federal Government accepts the recommendations of the National Electoral Reform Committee, the Independent National Electoral Commission may be split into three agencies.

The two agencies that may spring out of INEC are political parties registration and regulation commission and constituency delimitation commission.

Other areas through which the Justice Muhammadu-Uwais-led reform panel believes can make the nation’s electoral system rancour-free and accommodative are the establishment of Electoral Offences Commission as well as the adoption of proportional representation and independent candidacy.

The committee submitted its report to President Umaru Yar’Adua on Thursday at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.

Yar’Adua promised that his administration would implement the recommendations in line with his plan to reform the country’s contentious electoral system.

Uwais had told the President that the recommendations of the committee would require changes in the existing electoral procedures, including reallocation of functions which were presently performed by INEC and the State Independent Electoral Commissions.

The former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who also said that the committee noted that INEC and SIECs lacked “requisite independence,” was however, silent on the fate of the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu.

He also disclosed that findings by the committee indicated that the mind-set of Nigerians contributed to the problems that plagued the nation’s electoral system.

According to him, the mind-set of Nigerians to elections was “not only generally negative but also irrational”.

Shedding light on the major recommendations of the committee, Uwais said, “Some of the recommendations in our report will require changes in existing electoral procedures, reallocation of functions which are presently performed by INEC and SIECs; and necessitate the creation, by legislation, of new bodies, that is electoral offences commission, constituency delimitation commission, and political parties registration and regulatory commission.

With the recommendations, INEC’s function may be limited only to the conduct of elections.

The committee added that, in order to facilitate and speed up implementation of the recommendations, its “annexed to the main report three draft bills for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2006, as well as the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission.”

Uwais said, “We also examined the strengths and weaknesses of the present electoral process in relation to electoral best practices in countries similarly placed as Nigeria and make appropriate recommendations aimed at promoting greater inclusiveness and minimising both pre- and post-election tension.

“In this regard, the committee has recommended proportional representation in elections to the legislatures and local government councils.

“The advantages of the proportional representation system are its inclusiveness, simplicity and accountability.

“It promotes universal adult suffrage by ensuring that all votes are of equal value, that no valid vote cast is rendered useless, ineffective or wasted as all votes cast nationwide, or statewide or local government area wide, as the case may be, are taken into account.

“It also facilitates representation of women and other disadvantaged groups in the legislature and local government councils.

“We have, in addition, recommended the re-introduction of independent candidature in all elections.”

World Policy Org defines Proportional Representation as a common concept in most democracies in which a winner (party) does not take all the positions in government.

PR assures that political parties or candidates have the percentage of legislative seats that reflects their public support.

There are three main types of PR – the List System, Mixed Member System and Preference Voting System.

The LS is the most, widely used.

Under the LS, if a party receives 30 per cent of the votes cast, it will get 30 per cent of the seats in the legislature. If it receives 10 per cent of the votes it will get 10 per cent of the seats in the legislature. For the concept to take place, a very upright electoral process is required,” he said.

Uwais added that appropriate recommendations had been made to change Nigerians’ attitude to elections and minimise violence and rigging during elections.

The committee also included in its report, input from the Inter-Part Consultative Committee set up by the President after the Interactive Session on Electoral Reform on January 16, 2008.

The inter-party talks were attended by the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, the Progressive Peoples Alliance and the All Progressive Grand Alliance. The Action Congress did not participate.

Uwais said, “The electoral reform committee carefully examined the report of and recommendations by the Inter-Party Consultative Committee and has, where appropriate, incorporated to a large extent, the aspects of its recommendations, which accord with its reasoning and decisions.”

On INEC and SIECs lack of independence, Uwais said the committee made appropriate recommendations to address the focal issues of their composition, administrative autonomy and funding.

He said, “We have also made recommendations aimed at improving the performance of various stakeholders in the electoral process. These include all the three arms of government, namely the National Assembly, the Executive, the Judiciary; and in addition, the political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and the general public”.

Uwais said that the committee was “ firmly convinced that the acceptance and implementation of the recommendations in the report will significantly restore credibility to the electoral process and usher in an era of free, fair and credible elections that will conform with international best practices.”

Responding, Yar’Adua said his administration would implement the recommendations.

The President said, “I want to say that this administration is fully committed to the implementation of the recommendations that have been put forward by this committee.

“I, therefore, call on all Nigerians to take this report and the recommendations contained therein very seriously and take it as a matter of national duty to this generation and future generations.

“The Federal Government will also ensure that all stakeholders, the National Assembly, Executive, state governments, local governments, agencies of government that are involved in election, bring to bear on the implementation process of the recommendations of the report of the committee the same commitment and patriotism the committee has shown to the execution of this assignment.

“We will carefully study and implement with the support of the National Assembly those recommendations that will guarantee popular participation, ensure fairness and justice and bring credibility to the electoral process in Nigeria .

“Our focus on the electoral reform is predicated on the believe that elections is the very heart of democracy, hence they must not only be fair but they must also be seen to be so by our people and the rest of the world.”

Yar’Adua said the presentation of the report marked the formal beginning of the process for reforming the electoral system, which he promised during his inauguration as President on May 29, 2007.

“Today’s event marks the formal commencement of the process of meeting this solemn commitment,” he said.

The report consists of six volumes. Volume 1 is the main report while Volume 2 contains the memoranda received by the committee. Volume 3 is an analysis of presentations made at the public hearings held by the committee and Volume 4 has the verbatim report of the public hearings.

Volume 5 is report on the retreats held with foreign experts and Volume 6 contains the appendices to the main report.

The committee received 1,466 memoranda from the public.

The Uwais-led committee was inaugurated in August 2007 by Yar’Adua with a year deadline to complete its assignment.