[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 4 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 4
Calling for credible, transparent, and peaceful elections in Nigeria,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 16, 2019
Ms. Bass (for herself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Engel, Ms. Jackson
Lee, Mr. Meeks, and Mr. Chabot) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Calling for credible, transparent, and peaceful elections in Nigeria,
and for other purposes.
Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to maintain a strong
bilateral relationship with a politically stable, democratic, and
economically sound Nigeria that can play a leadership role in the region
and the continent more broadly;
Whereas Nigeria has Presidential elections scheduled for February 16, 2019, and
gubernatorial and National Assembly elections scheduled for March 2,
2019;
Whereas credible elections could further consolidate democratic gains achieved
in Nigeria over the last two decades since the transition from military
to civilian democratic rule;
Whereas a 2017 survey conducted by Afrobarometer found that 72 percent of
Nigerians agreed that democratic elections are the best means of
choosing their country's leaders, thus indicating that the country's
citizens are deeply committed to democracy;
Whereas collaboration between civil society actors and the international
community was a key factor that contributed to successful elections in
2015;
Whereas successive elections in Nigeria have featured varying degrees of
violence;
Whereas there have been deeply concerning instances of incitement to violence in
Nigeria by members of both the ruling coalition and the opposition
inciting supporters to ethnic violence as a means by which to gain
electoral advantage, intimidate electoral rivals, or suppress voter
turnout;
Whereas, during the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections in July 2018 and
September 2018, respectively, there were concerning incidents in which
some elements of Nigeria's security agencies displayed partisanship and
a lack of objectivity, which risks escalating tensions within the
country;
Whereas Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has improved
the voting process, notably through the introduction of continuous voter
registration, the adoption of simultaneous accreditation and voting,
improvements to the secrecy of the ballot, and the advancement of smart
card reader technology;
Whereas the statement of the September 2018 Joint National Democratic Institute/
International Republican Institute Pre-Election Assessment Mission to
Nigeria cited remaining challenges and concerns such as delays in
finalizing the legal framework for the elections, delayed release of
funds for the elections, security threats in the Middle Belt and North
East, instances of vote-buying, and incitement to violence and
disinformation; and
Whereas ensuring transparency in electoral preparations and building public
confidence in the electoral process is vital for the success of the
upcoming elections in Nigeria: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) reaffirms that the people of the United States will
continue to stand with the people of Nigeria in support of
peace and democracy;
(2) calls on the Government of Nigeria and all political
parties and actors to--
(A) take actions to facilitate elections that are
credible, transparent, and peaceful in order to support
the will of the people and advance the consolidation of
democracy and the stability of the broader region;
(B) condemn in the strongest terms the use of
speech that incites violence, and refrain from any
rhetoric or action that seeks to demonize or
delegitimize opponents, sow division among Nigerians,
or otherwise inflame tensions;
(C) seek to resolve any disputes over results
peacefully, including through the legal system as
necessary; and
(D) respect the impartiality of the Independent
National Electoral Commission;
(3) calls on the Government of Nigeria to--
(A) refrain from deploying security forces in a
partisan manner;
(B) ensure that security services maintain the
highest level of professionalism and impartiality in
facilitating the electoral process, enable accredited
observers and journalists to perform their work, and
protect the right of citizens to exercise their votes
freely;
(C) move expeditiously to finalize the proposed
reforms to the legal framework for the 2019 elections;
and
(D) enforce laws against election malfeasance,
including vote buying, and ensure equal and robust
application through such measures as the establishment
of the Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal;
(4) urges all Nigerians to fully and peacefully engage in
the electoral process, insist on full enfranchisement, reject
inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions, and seek to
resolve any disputes over results through the legal system;
(5) calls upon the Independent National Electoral
Commission to sustain confidence and trust in its management of
the electoral process by--
(A) taking concrete measures to combat vote buying
through voter education campaigns, enforcement of laws
against voter inducement, and a nationwide ban on cell
phones in the voting cubicle;
(B) releasing specimen ballots well in advance of
Election Day so that civil society and other electoral
stakeholders can conduct sufficient education to orient
voters;
(C) making adequate arrangements to ensure the
participation in the election of internally displaced
persons (IDPs); and
(D) taking steps to clean the voter roll and ensure
timely production and distribution of the Permanent
Voter Card to new voters;
(6) encourages political parties in Nigeria to adhere to
and enforce existing codes of conduct that commit parties to
democratic electoral standards regarding campaign use of
resources, engagement of voters, peaceful resolution of
disputes, and acceptance of verified and credible results;
(7) condemns any efforts on the part of any politicians or
political parties in Nigeria to politicize the security and law
enforcement agencies;
(8) encourages civil society organizations in Nigeria to--
(A) promote the peaceful participation of citizens
in the electoral process and draw on existing
interreligious and peacebuilding bodies to enhance
their efforts;
(B) disseminate information about citizen-based
observation findings and analysis to increase public
knowledge and understanding about the conduct of the
elections; and
(C) continue leading important early warning and
response mechanisms to mitigate election-related
violence, including monitoring all efforts to incite
violence or inflame tensions;
(9) supports efforts by the Department of State, including
the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to
assist election-related preparation in Nigeria, including
through programs focused on conflict mitigation; and
(10) calls on the United States Government and other
international partners, especially election-focused
nongovernmental organizations, to--
(A) continue to support efforts by the Government
of Nigeria to address the remaining electoral
preparation challenges and identify gaps in which
additional resources or diplomatic engagement could
make important contributions to the conduct of the
elections; and
(B) support civil society organizations and media
organizations working toward transparency and
accountability in the use of state resources around the
election period.
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