Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-23-Speech-3-286"
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"en.20070523.21.3-286"2
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substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3
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"Madam President, both the Nigerians and the international community had great hopes for the Nigerian elections for a number of reasons.
Firstly, Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and as the Commissioner said, a successful democratic process in Nigeria could set a good example that other African countries would wish to replicate.
Secondly, these were the first Nigerian elections where one civilian government would take over another, which is very important in a country with a history of military dictatorships.
And thirdly, there is broad freedom of speech in Nigeria, and the judiciary is independent.
Unfortunately these hopes of a positive example have been dashed. The resolution we are discussing is very critical, and justifiably so. Poor organisation, numerous mistakes and procedural irregularities, as well as electoral fraud have meant that the latest Nigerian elections cannot be regarded as credible, free or fair.
The elections met neither international standards nor the regional standards defined by ECOWAS. Worse still, the elections were marred by violence resulting in the deaths of at least 200 people. Questions about the significance of this violence by discussing the death toll showed that most Nigerian politicians were unaware of the problem.
It appears that long-term education in citizenship is very important in the case of Nigeria. Sending election observers is not enough, we need to invest in education and building a civil society.
It is my belief that the Nigerians must not be subjected to blackmail based on threats that any questioning of the election results would be tantamount to inviting the military to stage a coup again. This philosophy of ‘the lesser of two evils’ undermines democracy and justifies and feeds anti-democratic tendencies. The 64 million registered Nigerian voters have a right to election results that reflect their real will, and the European Union must strive to make this happen."@en1
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