Friday, April 8, 2011

Democracy... Now?

It's been all over the news - at least its been all over BBC (which is just about the only news I get): Nigeria has managed to botch its elections. Well, maybe "botch" is too strong of a word.... perhaps "delay" is more appropriate since that's what is technically happening right now.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the first round of elections - the Legislative Election - was supposed to happen this past Saturday, April 2nd and, in order to prevent any election violence, the Nigerian government order a strict movement ban which required everyone to stay indoors unless they were going to cast their vote. However, around noon on Saturday, after half of the country had already showed up to the polls to exercise their democratic right, the election authority -INEC - realized that half of the polling stations didn't have enough ballots for all of the voters and quickly announced via radio and television that they were postponing elections until the following Monday (April 4th). The government, in turn, announced around 3pm that the movement ban had been lifted for Saturday but issued a new ban for Monday's anticipated election. For people without access to TV or radio, word of the failed attempt at Legislative Elections spread like wild fire through the modern communication marvel of text message. Of course, during this time, opposing political parties took the election delay as a great opportunity to accuse one another of rigging the election... despite the fact that the postponement is really an opportunity for INEC to make sure each Nigerian is actually able to cast their vote.

 In any case, Sunday afternoon rolled around and INEC realized that there was no way to furnish all of Nigeria's polling stations with ballots by Monday morning and so they yet again postponed the elections until the following Saturday (April 9th). Of course, this was the date originally reserved for the much-anticipated Presidential Election which now means that Nigerians will have to vote for their President the next Saturday - April 16th. As this was the date originally reserved for the Gubernatorial Elections, yet another postponement has been ordered and now the Gubernatorial Elections will take place on April 23rd.

This morning, INEC announced that, despite working frantically to distribute ballots to all the polling stations by Saturday, they are going to be unable to reach at least 13% of the electoral districts and thus, for those electoral districts, elections will be postponed yet again. No word yet on which specific districts will have to hold off on voting.... no word on when they might actually get to vote. (See BBC article) *Insert sad shake of the head here *

In the past week, Jega, the head of INEC, has been the butt of many a joke and in fact there have been several rude songs created using his name in rather unfortunate ways. To make matters worse, there has been a veritable storm of text messaging activity around Nigeria and many rumors have been started, perpetuated, and transmitted this way including the idea that elections will not take place at all this month and that INEC is actually working for Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP in order to rig the elections. The current governor of Lagos - Babatunde Fashola - released a statement begging Nigerians to stop texting "news" to one another without first confirming from "reliable news sources" that it is, in fact, news.

I must say that, despite what CNN might want you to believe back home, Nigeria, or at least Lagos has not "erupted in violence." I saw an article on-line that claimed, in so many words, that all of Lagos was "rioting" and I cannot express how false this is. There is no rioting. None. Perhaps there have been a few scuffles here and there but, for the most part, Nigerians aren't really angry about the delayed elections. In fact, I've seen many Nigerians get more heated about far less important things... like office keys, for example.

In discussing the flawed electoral system with Nigerians, it has been revealed that Nigerians must re-register to vote every single year. Furthermore, if Nigerians move (which happens a lot), apparently they aren't allowed to re-register for a voting district closer to their current location; they must instead travel back to the same place where they first registered to vote. Every single year - to register. Every single election - to vote. And when delays such as this happen, people become less and less enthusiastic about participating.

Given all of these issues, the word I would choose to describe the mood around Nigeria is "despondent." Nigerians have yet to have a decent election free from errors or corruption and, sadly, this time, despite efforts to the contrary, seems to be nothing new.

As an American, I can acknowledge that our own electoral system is less-than-perfect but, when compared to the Nigerian system, I am thankful that I live in a country where, as an individual, voting is as easy as (American) pie. I can comfortably vote in close proximity to where ever I currently live. I can register by mail, in person at the DMV, or at any number of government offices. I only have to re-register if I've changed addresses, names, or political parties. I can vote by walking into an air conditioned building, waiting in a short line, and pressing buttons on a fancy TV/ computer screen and then, once I'm finished, the computer will ask me at least twice if I'm absolutely certain of the choices I'm making. What a piece of cake (pie)! ... Especially considering that the alternative is, essentially, the polar opposite of everything I just said (wrote). And still, to the amazement of the world, only a mighty 30% of voting-age Americans bother to participate in their own democracy. *Insert even sadder shake of the head*

In closing, I'd like to leave you with a nifty little Nigerian election map that I borrowed (stole) from the BBC. Enjoy!

1 comment: