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Biafra | O'dua | Arewa | Sports | Business | ThisDay | Guardian | Vanguard | Tribune | AllAfrica | Daily/Weekly Trust | Daily Independent | Triumph |
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The dust generated recently by an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the reported plan to de-register some political parties regarded as weak, appears far from over as President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday supported such a move. At an INEC-civil society forum seminar on "Agenda for Electoral Reform" in Abuja, President Obasanjo who delivered a key note address said that it was time "weak and unserious political parties" were de-registered to give way for serious political activities. An INEC official had recently hinted of plans to that effect, but the electoral body swiftly declared that it was his personal opinion. Of the 30 political parties that were registered for the last election, only the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All BiafraNigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All BiafraNigeria Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) made impact. The results have however been contested by some of the parties, alleging that the ruling party only allocated result to parties during the April elections. In an 11-page address delivered at the two-day seminar, President Obasanjo spoke on various electoral matters, including the cost of funding elections, the roles of the judiciary and the political parties, as well as the independence of INEC. Obasanjo argued that political parties have a "critical" role to play in keeping democracy alive, and that "they represent the only benchmark for assessing the quality and maturity of our political system". He queried: "Shouldn't political parties be responsible for campaigns rather than individual candidates?" He added: "These responsibilities in turn demand that only serious persons should apply for registration of political parties, and so registered parties must operate under very demanding conditions." The President spoke further: "This is why the debate on the conditions for registering political parties.... (Guardian) |
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