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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
Survey
Citizens' Awareness and Participation in Armenia : Survey 2002
Between the dates of August 20 and September 12, 2002, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) conducted its second Citizens’ Awareness and Participation in Armenia (CAPA) survey of public opinion. The first CAPA survey was fielded between June 10 and June 22, 2001. The 2002 survey was conducted throughout Armenia with 1,600 adult respondents. Additional interviews were over-sampled in regions where IFES is currently undertaking CAPA programming. The results in this report are based on weighted data that is representative of the national population of Armenia. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 2.5%. This report is organized into eight sections plus a conclusion and appendices. Section I provides an introduction to the report, while Section II highlights the most important findings of the 2002 survey. Following this, Section III provides information on the Armenian public’s general interest in, attitudes toward, and knowledge about politics and government in Armenia. Section IV describes the levels of information citizens have on various topics, as well as their main sources of information. Section V covers the public’s civic knowledge and attitudes toward participation in civic activities. Section VI explains the actions citizens have taken to address important issues and the interaction between public officials and their constituents. Section VII examines attitudes toward women’s participation in public life and decision-making in Armenia. Finally, Section VIII provides information on citizen’s attitudes toward the judicial system and institutions, as well as corruption in the country. Section IX, the conclusion, relates the major findings of the 2002 survey to IFES’ CAPA project development. Four appendices have also been added to this report in the last section, Section X. Appendices 1 and 2 contain the survey’s methodological summary and 2002 topline data. Appendix 3 contains selected demographic data. Appendix 4 provides general information about the current work and projects of IFES/Armenia and contact information for its nine regional offices.
December 31, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Armenia Final Report
This report describes the details from IFES efforts to strengthen Armenia’s democratic structures from 1997 to 2002. The report discusses the development of election legislation, IFES support for the Central Election Commission and support for the overall electoral process and conduct of elections. The report further details the relationships formed by IFES with local and international NGOs, the development of an election resource center and election materials produced by the IFES team.
November 30, 2002
Publication
Survey
Citizen's Awareness and Participation in Armenia (2001)
IFES conducted a national survey in Armenia between June 10 and June 22, 2001. Section I is the introduction, while Section II highlights the most important findings. Section III covers the source of information that is available to the public about political and economic issues and other topics relevant to enabling citizens to better understand the working of their democratic institutions in Armenia. Section IV describes attitudes toward basic social and political processes and institutions. Section V examines attitudes toward women’s participation in decision-making and the support for women’s rights in Armenia. Section VI describes actions that citizens have taken to effect political change, and provides reasons why others have not taken these steps. The next section, VII provides data on the general knowledge citizens have of their country’s political process. Section VIII, the conclusion, relates these findings to IFES’ Citizen’s Awareness and Participation in Armenia program.
July 31, 2001
Publication
Report/Paper
Public Attitude Towards Political Life Electoral Experience Confidence in Leadership and Civic Participation in Armenia
This report details a series of IFES conducted focus groups from May 2000. The aim of the focus groups centered on how ordinary Armenians felt about their leaders and institutions, their confidence in the electoral process, and their overall perceptions of the political and economic situation in Armenia. This research was conducted in the hopes that it would help aid organizations identify areas of greatest concern and need in the process of democratic development in Armenia.
July 31, 2000
Publication
Survey
Public Expectations and Attitudes in Armenia (2000): Executive Summary of Focus Group Findings
Between May 15-19, 2000, the IFES commissioned a series of focus group sessions (eight in total) to be carried out across Armenia. These focus groups were conducted to find out how ordinary Armenians feel about their leaders and institutions, their confidence in the electoral process, and their overall perceptions of the political and economic situation in Armenia today. While the findings from this research project cannot be said to be scientifically representative of the adult population of Armenia, they do provide important insights into the attitudes and opinions of Armenians of different ages and education, and from different locations. These insights can help aid organizations in identifying areas of greatest concern and need in the process of democratic development in Armenia.
June 30, 2000
Publication
Report/Paper
Report on the Impact of IFES Activities in Nigeria, November 1998 to April 1999
This report describes IFES’ activities in Nigeria and the impact of IFES technical assistance to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) voter education project.
May 26, 1999
Publication
Report/Paper
Rapport de l AAEA et de l IFES sur l observation des elections de transition au Nigeria (December 1998 - February 1999)
Ce rapport est base sur les constatations des observateurs a long terme de l'IFES, sur place au Nigeria de novembre 1998 a avril 1999, et sur les missions AAEA/IFES visant a observer trois des quatre élections de transition: les élections des gouvernements locaux du 5 décembre 1998, celles de l'Assemblée nationale du 20 février 1999 et l'élection présidentielle du 27 février 1999 (des délègues de l'IFES ont observe les élections des Etats du 9 janvier).
March 28, 1999