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Report/Paper
Political Money and Political Corruption: Considerations for Nigeria
November 28, 2003
Publication
Report/Paper
Promoting Electoral Access for Citizens with Disabilities: Considerations for Nigeria, INEC-Civil Society Forum Seminar on Agenda for Electoral Reform, 27-28 November 2003, Abuja, Nigeria
The right to participate in and stand for election is a fundamental human right. According to Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in Article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives’ (b) To vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors; (c) To have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his country.” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights sets an international standard for the conduct of the elections and the right of participation in that process. In reviewing the Constitutional and legal framework of Nigeria’s electoral process, it is important to ensure that this framework meets international standards, while taking into account the nation’s experience and political and social environment. The right of participation of “every citizen” is one that must be guaranteed by law and by the way the electoral process is conducted. In Nigeria, citizens with disabilities face legal as well as practical barriers to equal participation in the electoral process. However, this electoral review affords the opportunity to ensure that the rights of citizens with disabilities are protected by law and by practice. There is no reliable data on how many of Nigeria’s approximately 120 million citizens live with some sort of physical or mental disability. Nigerian census officials last submitted statistics on disability to the United Nations over 12 years ago, estimating at that time that .5 percent of the population was disabled. This figure is not comparable to the international norm and is a severe under-estimate. In the United States, at least 6% of population has some form of obvious disability – is blind or visually impaired; deaf; a wheelchair user or has an intellectual disability. However, with Nigeria’s incidence of polio, nutritional problems and difficulties with access to healthcare, the percentage of Nigerians with obvious disabilities is likely to be higher – perhaps 10% or more. With an estimated population of 120 million, that would be more than 12 million citizens with disabilities – half of whom are of voting age, at least some 6 million people. This, of course, does not take into account persons with hidden or even undiagnosed disabilities, such as learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, etc. Section 17(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution states that “every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before law.” Do the Constitutional and legal provisions governing the conduct of elections guarantee this right for those Nigerian citizens with disabilities? Are Nigerians with disabilities able to equally participate in and stand for election?
November 26, 2003
Publication
Report/Paper
Reforming Critical Operational Strategies: INEC Post-Election Seminar, "2003 General Elections: The Lessons and the Way Forward" 28-30 July 2003
Constitutional provisions, electoral legislation, regulations and the policies and the administrative framework of the electoral management body all govern the means by which elections are conducted. Providing an opportunity for all eligible voters to choose their government representatives, through operations that are cost-effective, credible and secure is a major challenge for election management bodies. In reviewing the operational strategies of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria in its conduct of the 2003 federal and state elections, it is necessary to examine the major areas of its operational approach. In any electoral environment, there are similar key issues for which effective solutions have to be found if election operations are to promote public confidence in the integrity and professionalism of electoral management, and acceptance of election results. Some questions to ask in conducting this review are: 1. What are the most suitable arrangements for voter registration and for voting? 2. What are the ways to ensure that registration centres and polling stations are run by trained and professional staff? 3. What materials can be used to ensure the credibility of the process? 4. What are the logistics strategies, to ensure the necessary materials are available and that the operations run efficiently? INEC’s operational strategies, within the legislative and administrative framework, dictate how the elections are conducted, and whether their outcome will be accepted by the participants. If the operational strategies are successful, all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate fully in the process; registration centres and polling stations open on time and the periods of operations are respected; materials are adequately supplied and properly used; all necessary registration and election staff are present and conduct their duties according to the law and regulations; and the election results are compiled in a transparent manner, announced in a timely fashion and accepted, leading to the inauguration of the newly-elected officials. Shortcomings in the operational strategies lessen the credibility of the electoral process and in confidence of the electoral management body, paving the way for future difficulties with regard to respect for the conduct of elections and the democratic process as a whole.
July 27, 2003
Publication
Report/Paper
Kosovo: Election Assistance to Muncipal Election Officials: IFES Final Activity Report of Phase I, Oct 2001- March 2002
This report summarizes IFES’ role in the professional development of Municipal Election Commissioners in Kosovo. The report details the lessons imparted on Municipal Election Commissioners; voter education techniques; maintenance of impartiality in election administration; skills development including management, strategic planning, budgeting, personnel and human resource management, and preparing information sessions with the media, the general public and the international community; and interacting with political entities, NGOs, and municipal assemblies
May 31, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Selecting a Model for Election Administration in Kosovo: Conclusions & Recommendations from Discussion Forum and Conference held on 1-2 and 16 February 2002
This report summarizes IFES findings from two events on the future election administration system in Kosovo. The report provides recommendations for the future of the election administration system in Kosovo.
February 28, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Electoral Conflict and Violence: A Strategy for Study and Prevention
An electoral process is an alternative to violence as it is a means of achieving governance. It is when an electoral process is perceived as unfair, unresponsive, or corrupt, that its political legitimacy is compromised and stakeholders are motivated to go outside the established norms to achieve their objectives. Electoral conflict and violence become tactics in political competition. There are examples of elections that have exacerbated long-term conflict (Angola 1992) or have politically hardened conflict-related alliances (Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996). From these experiences, it is generally recognized that post-conflict elections can be held too early and produce results that may extend the conflict rather than resolve it. However, in most cases, such elections mitigate the effects of larger conflict issues and reduce them into localized, manageable incidents...
February 04, 2002
Publication
Survey
2001 Electoral Administration and Performance: Findings from the IFES Survey on the November 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election
The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has been working within Kosovo since the cessation of NATO bombing in 1999 by providing technical assistance to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the administration of Kosovar elections. IFES assisted the OSCE and UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in creating a civil registration system, a necessary step to normalize public administration and to register voters. Leading up to the successful October 2000 Municipal Elections, IFES assisted the OSCE in establishing a legal electoral framework, developing a technical infrastructure, and training election officials and poll workers. Fueled by the success of the Municipal Elections, the OSCE, with assistance from IFES, decided to strengthen the capacity of the newly formed Municipal Election Commissions. In order to pinpoint exactly what aspects of electoral administration needed to be developed, IFES conducted a post-election survey after the municipal elections. Based on the results of that survey, IFES and the OSCE planned its activities for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Kosovo, which were scheduled to be held on 17 November 2001 and would result in the formation of Kosovo’s first elected Assembly, which would then elect Kosovo’s first democratically elected President. On Election Day, 65 percent of the Province’s 1.25 million people visited the polling stations in order to participate in the highly successful democratic election of Kosovo’s Assembly. Following the 17 November 2001 Assembly Election, IFES conducted its second postelection survey of people from Kosovo who had participated in the elections as either election administrators or observers. This survey follows the format of the survey conducted after the 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo. The sample included Municipal Election Commission (MEC) members, Polling Station Committee (PSC) members, and representatives from political entities and NGOs that fielded election observers. The sample was composed of representatives from all political and ethnic groups and covered every municipality in Kosovo. The survey had two main goals: first to assess the performance of electoral administrators in the 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election and to compare this performance with 2000 and second to assess the role the international community is playing in election administration in Kosovo and make recommendations regarding the process of transferring election administration to Kosovo institutions. In total, 1,200 questionnaires were distributed between 28 November and 18 December. Of these, 979 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 81.6 percent.
January 31, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
The Electoral Process in Kosovo: Next Steps (Conclusions from the Conference Held in Pristina on 8-10 Feb 2001)
This conference report summarizes the areas of consensus from the plenary and working group sessions, observations of the October 2000 elections, the main presentations, the presentations on associations, and the outcomes of the three-day event in Kosovo.
February 28, 2001
Publication
Survey
Electoral Administration and Performance: Findings from a survey on the October 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo
Kosovo is a territory with a particularly conflict-ridden past. Many people in this disputed province of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have been displaced from their homes and experienced trauma during the conflict that ravaged this territory and its people, particularly during recent years leading up to the NATO bombing campaign in 1999. After the cessation of the NATO bombing campaign in June 1999, the international community, through the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO Kosovo Protection Force (KFOR), took over responsibility for civil administration, reconstruction and general security in Kosovo. One of the major projects of the international community in its quest to restore normality to this territory was to conduct the first democratic elections for the people of Kosovo. Following the 28 October 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) conducted a survey of people from Kosovo who participated in these elections. The survey was administered during the first two weeks of December, 2000. All Municipal Election Commission (MEC) members, representatives of all political entities, including candidates representing parties, independent candidates, and citizen's initiatives that participated in the elections, and representatives of all 106 NGOs that fielded observers in these elections were invited to participate in the survey. The survey covered all five regions and all thirty municipalities of Kosovo. The purpose of the survey was to assess the performance of electoral administrators in these first elections and to determine lessons that can be learned to improve future electoral administration.
January 31, 2001
Publication
Report/Paper
IFES Ltd. Final Report on Kosovo Voter Education Outreach Project
This report analyzes IFES activities designed to ensure that citizens developed a better conceptual understanding of how a democratic system works and exercised that knowledge by increasing active engagement in local political life. The project's goal was to ensure that a voter education programme was developed focusing on the most fundamental level, villages and small communities without access to television or radio, and that it was carried out by Kosovars themselves.
December 31, 2000