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New Publication: Money and Politics in Nigeria
Money is indispensable for political campaigns but unrestrained funds can result in corruption. As Nigeria works to strengthen its nascent democracy, Money and Politics in Nigeria, a collection of essays by democracy experts in Nigeria, gives Africa's most populous country advice on how to handle money and politics issues.
December 15, 2008
Publication
Report/Paper
Islamic Movements and Democracy in Central Asia: Integration or Isolation?
This paper, presented at the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy’s 9th Annual Conference in Washington, DC, addresses the present state of Islamic political movements in the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with focus on state and non-state actors.
June 11, 2008
Publication
Survey
A Nigerian Perspective on the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections - Summary of Findings
According to surveys conducted before and after the 2007 election, Nigerians maintain a strong commitment to holding elections despite some disappointment in pre-election expectations of fairness.
September 30, 2007
Publication
Survey
A Nigerian Perspective on the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections - Full Report
The report compares the results of two public opinion surveys that IFES conducted in February and May in each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the federal capital territory. The sample size for each survey was about 2,400 people with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
August 14, 2007
Publication
Report/Paper
A Study of Political Party Assistance in Eastern Europe and Eurasia
Under a joint project of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. State Department (EUR/ACE), Democracy International (DI) conducted a comprehensive study of efforts to assist political party development in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
June 15, 2007
Publication
Survey
What Nigerians Think: Nigerian Public Opinion in the Pre-election Environment
The results of this survey are based on face-to-face interviews conducted under the direction of IFES by Practical Political leaders elected in the polls to be held in April 2007 will have no easy task ahead of them. A large majority of Nigerians are dissatisfied with the overall state of their country. Many cite corruption and its natural allies—poverty and unemployment—as Nigeria’s biggest challenges. Yet despite deep dissatisfaction, slim majorities or large minorities have at least some confidence in governmental leaders
April 09, 2007
Publication
Survey
Assessments of the Political Situation in Kyrgyzstan 2005 - Key Findings
An increasing number of Kyrgyzstanis believe that they can change their country’s situation by voting, believe their country’s recent elections have been conducted fairly, and support new methods of ensuring electoral fairness. These include inking voters’ fingers, using transparent ballot boxes and the presence of domestic and international observers. A majority also say some of the seats in parliament should be reserved for women and think changes to the constitution should be approved of by a popular referendum.
December 30, 2005
Publication
Survey
Attitudes Toward Democracy and Markets in Nigeria: Report of a National Opinion Survey, January - February 2000
A national sample survey on “Attitudes toward Democracy and Markets” was conducted in Nigeria in January-February 2000 by the International Foundation for Election Systems, in collaboration with Management Systems International. Research and Marketing Services, based in Lagos, conducted the fieldwork, assisted with the sampling methods and processed questionnaire data. Drs. Peter Lewis (American University) and Michael Bratton (Michigan State University) directed survey design, oversaw implementation and analyzed survey results. Funding for the survey was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The purpose of the present study is to find out what ordinary Nigerians think about recent political and economic developments. As a guiding theme, we asked: “Do Nigerians support democracy and markets?” The study was designed as a national sample survey, meaning that we posed the same set of questions to a small sample of the population who were selected to represent the adult population of Nigeria as a whole. The target population for the survey was citizens of Nigeria, namely persons at least 18 years old and eligible to vote. To draw a representative cross-section of the voting age population, a random sample was designed. The survey covered all six informal geopolitical regions of the country, including 22 of the 36 states, with the number of interviews in each region being proportional to the region's population size. To adapt the questionnaire to local conditions, we translated the English version into six local languages: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Tiv, and Ijaw. All interviews were administered in the language of the respondent's choice. The survey questionnaire reproduced several items that had been asked in previous surveys in Nigeria and in other countries, so as to provide a basis for comparing Nigeria with other African nations as well as other regions of the world.
March 31, 2004
Publication
Report/Paper
Political Money and Political Corruption: Considerations for Nigeria
November 28, 2003
Publication
Report/Paper
Promoting Electoral Access for Citizens with Disabilities: Considerations for Nigeria, INEC-Civil Society Forum Seminar on Agenda for Electoral Reform, 27-28 November 2003, Abuja, Nigeria
The right to participate in and stand for election is a fundamental human right. According to Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in Article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives’ (b) To vote and be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors; (c) To have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his country.” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights sets an international standard for the conduct of the elections and the right of participation in that process. In reviewing the Constitutional and legal framework of Nigeria’s electoral process, it is important to ensure that this framework meets international standards, while taking into account the nation’s experience and political and social environment. The right of participation of “every citizen” is one that must be guaranteed by law and by the way the electoral process is conducted. In Nigeria, citizens with disabilities face legal as well as practical barriers to equal participation in the electoral process. However, this electoral review affords the opportunity to ensure that the rights of citizens with disabilities are protected by law and by practice. There is no reliable data on how many of Nigeria’s approximately 120 million citizens live with some sort of physical or mental disability. Nigerian census officials last submitted statistics on disability to the United Nations over 12 years ago, estimating at that time that .5 percent of the population was disabled. This figure is not comparable to the international norm and is a severe under-estimate. In the United States, at least 6% of population has some form of obvious disability – is blind or visually impaired; deaf; a wheelchair user or has an intellectual disability. However, with Nigeria’s incidence of polio, nutritional problems and difficulties with access to healthcare, the percentage of Nigerians with obvious disabilities is likely to be higher – perhaps 10% or more. With an estimated population of 120 million, that would be more than 12 million citizens with disabilities – half of whom are of voting age, at least some 6 million people. This, of course, does not take into account persons with hidden or even undiagnosed disabilities, such as learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, etc. Section 17(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution states that “every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before law.” Do the Constitutional and legal provisions governing the conduct of elections guarantee this right for those Nigerian citizens with disabilities? Are Nigerians with disabilities able to equally participate in and stand for election?
November 26, 2003