Commission Submits Recommendations To INEC

The Justice Develop
ment and Peace Commission (JDPC) has made a five-point recommendation to INEC, aimed at enhancing elections in the country.
This is contained in a 32-page document, signed by the Executive Director of JDPC, Rev. Fr. Edwin Udoye, and made available to the newsmen in Onitsha on Thursday.
The document entitled: “Anambra State Governorship Election Observation Report,’’ was based on the-spot findings of 2,500 stationary election observers and 50 roving observers at the just-concluded November 16 governorship election in Anambra.
It said that the electoral law stated that political campaigns must end 24 hours before any election but that the political parties were found sharing money in most of the polling units.
“Therefore, intensive monitoring should be provided to track and punish politicians who contravene this provision,’’it said.
According to the statement, INEC should create space to give immediate attention to critical incidents that occur during polls and not waiting until after the elections to attend to them.
“JDPC made several reports through the hotlines created by INEC but no immediate attention was given to alleviate the problems reported.’’
It said that INEC should among other criteria, consider individual’s moral behaviour during recruitment of electoral officers to reduce high level fraud as witnessed in Idemili north council area of Anambra.
“INEC should as a matter of urgency create and reserve support funds for observers. This will enable domestic election observation to be strategic,’’the statement said.
JDPC recommended that INEC should make provision to accommodate many election observers in subsequent elections.