Strasbourg, 25/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution adopted on 24 May, the European Parliament said the elections in Nigeria could not be considered credible and called on the EU not to continue relations with Abuja “as if nothing has happened”.
The EP condemned the atmosphere of impunity in which electoral infringements took place, the immunity of leaders and the practice of enlisting bully boys to commit violence. The Nigerian authorities were called on to carry out an urgent investigation into voting irregularities and to adopt measures to ensure that those responsible are called to account for their actions. MEPs called for the adoption of concrete measures to put in place a genuinely independent electoral administration, which would be fully responsible for organising free and fair elections. They called on the European Commission to present a proposal on the EU's post-election policy to the Council and Parliament, fearing that, if the current policy “carried on as if nothing has happened”, it would damage the EU electoral observation mission and remove all credibility from it. The Parliament stressed that EU aid to Nigeria must not be granted to federal or state bodies until new, credible elections had been held. In the longer perspective, MEPs said that effective civil rights must be granted to citizens and that they must be taught about elections. The Nigerian government was called on to take immediate action against corruption, violence and impunity. (ol)