Former US, Niger presidents to lead election monitors

Former USPresident Jimmy Carter said yesterday that he and Mahamane Ousmane, Niger’s former president, will head a 60-member delegation monitoring the presidential election on 27 February. “We are honoured that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the major parties invited us to participate in this crucial moment in Nigeria’s history,” Carter said in a press release from the Carter Center received by IRIN today. Carter, who was in the country last month to assess developments in the transition programme, added: “We are here to support and strengthen Nigerians’ desire for democracy, evaluate the electoral process and learn from it.” A member of the US delegation told the independent ‘Guardian’ newspaper that the team would be on a “tight schedule” while in the country. The delegation, deployed by the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), is expected to be sent to 24 states of the federation where talks will take place with local INEC officials and party representatives before the voting. The press release said that on election day, delegates will visit as many polling booths as possible in their areas to witness poll openings, voter accreditation, vote counting and ballot box delivery. They will also talk with citizens and officials about the electoral process The release added that after the election, observers will reconvene in Abuja to discuss their findings and issue a preliminary statement. Meanwhile, a 100-member EU team is expected to be deployed to various parts of the country on Thursday, agencies said.