International
Foreign Observers Say Nigeria’s Democracy Is Still Troubled With Electoral Failures
Washington, DC – based National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) Joint International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) say that the democracy in Nigeria is still fraught with elections failures.
This is after 24 years of the country’s modern democracy which began in 1999.
NDI IRI , in its final report on the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria, released today, also offers practical recommendations for consideration by Nigerian stakeholders and partners to promote a resilient and inclusive democracy in the country.
In the report signed by Paulina Chavez Alonzo, Press Secretary National Democratic Institute, noted that while there were incremental improvements in election administration, advances in results transparency, increased competitiveness in the presidential race, quality engagement of youth, and overall optimism generated by the enactment of the Electoral Act 2022, the 2023 elections in Nigeria fell short of citizens’ legitimate and reasonable expectations.
It said: ” Significant logistical, technological, and communications failures by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), divisive rhetoric by political parties, political violence, regional disparities in electoral integrity, instances of vote manipulation, and marginalization of key populations marred the electoral process and disenfranchised voters negatively impacted on key aspects of the election process.
” The elections also saw the lowest turnout for national contests in Nigeria’s modern democratic history with only 27 percent of registered voters participating.
“The incoming government, lawmakers, INEC, and political parties will need to show genuine and renewed dedication to improving electoral and democratic processes, fighting corruption, and providing Nigerian citizens with responsive and trusted institutions.
Nigerians must undertake collective actions to combat disenchantment, address lingering political grievances, and restore faith in elections and democracy as a whole,” the final report states.
The report includes key findings on the pre-election, election day and post-election periods and offers practical recommendations for consideration by Nigerian stakeholders and partners to promote a resilient and inclusive democracy.
The IEOM found that there is still space to confront electoral integrity challenges and build on the gains of recent reforms, but only through demonstrable political will, good faith, and committed and coordinated efforts among Nigerian stakeholders.
This report is based on information gathered by the joint NDI/IRI Nigeria international election observation mission, which was present in Nigeria from June 2022 to May 2023.
The 40-person election day delegation observed the polls in 20 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FTC).
It was led by a distinguished team including Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi, and Ambassador Mark Green, former Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
International
Zimbabwe Wins UN Security Council Seat for 2027-2028
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Zimbabwe has been elected to a non-permanent, two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, the third time the country will be represented on the body mandated to maintain international peace and security.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the other countries that secured seats around the iconic horseshoe table are Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States (WEOG) Group, while Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the African Group, respectively.
Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting.
International
Finland’s president says EU should expand to 40 states — including Canada
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
• Finland’s president Alexander Stubb
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has stressed the need for a much larger European Union, saying the 27-nation bloc should increase its membership to 40 states and named the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland as potential candidates to join.
Stubb made the call at an energy conference in the Finnish capital on Wednesday.
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
Stubb told the Eurelectric Power Summit that “the window of opportunity” for EU enlargement “is quite short because when the war in Ukraine ends and perhaps when the U.S. administration changes, I don’t know, then people are going to take their foot off the gas pedal and start heckling about unnecessary stuff again.”
Stubb added that “European strategic autonomy or European geopolitical power” is “often based on size and scale and I think the best European policy ever has been European enlargement.”
“In this moment, we need to think big and geographically, we need to enlarge or at least create memberships which are flexible enough to bring in a sum total of 40 European states — or even non-European,” Stubb said.
Finland’s president said the EU should look to its western flank and bring the U.K., which left the bloc in 2020, back into the fold, or at least “as close as possible
.”Canada should be considered as another option, Stubb said. “Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?”
International
Iran Kuwait’s airport attack injures 63
Health ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said 25 ambulances were dispatched at Kuwait International Airport, adding that “63 injured individuals were received and distributed among hospitals.
Today Wednesday June 3: Kuwait International Airport was hit by Iranian drones.
An Iranian attack on Kuwait’s airport wounded at least 63 people on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with authorities earlier reporting one person killed.
Health ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said 25 ambulances were dispatched at Kuwait International Airport, adding that “63 injured individuals were received and distributed among hospitals.
This includes serious injuries… including head wounds, cerebral hemorrhages, amputations and injuries resulting from explosions.”
An airport source told AFP that the death in Kuwait was an Indian national at the airport.
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