Group chides PDP on electoral reform, Ekiti re-run poll

 THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, came under fire for allegedly foot-draging on the electoral reform President Umaru Yar'Adua promised following the widely aclaimmed flawed electoral process that brought him to power in 2007.

Pro-democracy group, Grassroots Initiative for Peace and Democracy (GIPD) rose from its Central Working Committe claiming that the PDP administration is incapable of ushering in a new era for the democratic culture by ensuring deliverance of good governance based, accountability, transparency and respect for citizens through strong institutional checks and balances.

Executive Director of the group, Mr. Akinaka Richard, said the widely criticised elections of 2007 (dunned as "the worst elections we have ever observed" by US observer group NDI) brought large parts of the country closer to the style of violent rigging seen across the Niger Delta since 2003.

Acording to the group, ''the electoral reform committee established in late 2007 encompassed wider than usual membership. Its recommendations included a substantial separation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Presidency who presently appoints all its members''.

Continuing, they said, ''so far, the uptake on these recommendations by the PDP administration has been limited at best. President Yar'Adua proposes to retain control over the appointment of the INEC Chairman, while some new independent members will be included'.

They are claiming that the limited reforms face criticism both for the weakening of recommendations and the glacial pace of reform which resembles previous election cycles.

''In previous years 'reforms' have melted away as the deadlines of impending elections approaches. If any substantial reforms are to survive then a vigorous challenge to the Federal Government to meet its promises made after the 2007 elections is essential in coming months', the group said.

Adding, they said somewhat unexpectedly ''the courts have given some hope to reformers and opposition parties. Two further states--Edo in the South-South and Ondo in the South- west-- have changed hands after protracted legal battles. A pending partial re-run of governorship elections in the small south western state of Ekiti would normally have been insignificant, but it is being taken very seriously by the ruling PDP and may have ripple effects as far as the Niger Delta''.

The April 25 re-run, acording to the GIPD, ''is being contested by a crossover civil society activist, Kayode Fayemi, and the tense election could be a critical marker for the plausibility of reformers contesting elections as well as an early material test of the Federal Government's commitment to electoral reform''.