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IRIN-WA Update 409 of Events in West Africa (Wednesday 24 February)
NIGERIA: PDP sweeps legislative poll
Nigeria's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has achieved a convincing win in Saturday's legislative elections for the 109-seat Senate and 360-seat House of Representatives, results by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) show.
The results, published in the independent 'Guardian' daily today (Wednesday) show that the PDP won 59 Senate seats, the All People's Party (APP) 29 and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) 20. The PDP also won 206 seats in the House, the APP 74 and the AD 68.
Saturday's voting marked the penultimate stage in elections leading to the restoration of democracy in the country. However, by-elections will be held on 6 March in the states of Akwa Ibom, Delta, Nasarawa and Rivers where voting did not take place because of security concerns.
The Delta State government has criticised INEC for postponing Saturday's election in parts of the state.The state's commissioner for information and culture, Francis Overare, said "there was no threat of any sort to public peace".
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman Ephraim Akpata told a news conference that although judged generally fair, there had been some irregularities in the voting.These included the late opening of some polling centres, stuffing of ballot boxes, falsification, alteration and inflation of results.
"We are very disturbed by these reports which cut across party lines and which also involve some of our staff," he said.
Akpata urged a massive voter turnout for the presidential polls on Saturday, in contrast to the poor showing for the legislative elections, "the reason for which still remains unclear".
Military decrees terms for president
The winner of Saturday's civilian presidential election in Nigeria will be limited to two four-year terms of office and will have to declare all assets before taking charge of the country, news reports said today.
According to terms laid down by the head of the military government, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the election rules also include a year in prison and a US $60 fine for anybody offering or accepting bribes.
The rules, in draft form and released today, say the winner must have a simple majority and at least one-quarter of the votes in 24 of the 36 states and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A new election will be called if either candidate fails to meet the stipulations, the reports said.
SIERRA LEONE: Millions of dollars lost in fighting over mining towns
Deputy Defence Minister Sam Hinga Norman yesterday said that while Freetown was relatively safe, other areas "are not yet satisfactorily controlled by security [forces]," Reuters reported. He said rebels controlled the districts of Kono, Kailahun and Bombali, including the towns of Kailahun, Koidu and Makeni. Fighting for the eastern diamond mining town of Tongo was continuing, he said, adding it was important for the government to retake the mining areas. "The government has been losing millions of dollars and what is my determination now as deputy defence minister is for [the West African intervention force] ECOMOG and the Kamajors [pro-government militia] to retake the entire Kono district urgently," he was quoted as saying. Kono is the centre of Sierra Leone's diamond mining operations.
Another eastern diamond mining town, Segbwema, in the southeast, was also reportedly recaptured by ECOMOG, news organisations said.
LIBERIA: "Premature" to hand over suspected rebel collaborators
The Liberian government has said it is "premature" to turn over suspected collaborators of the Sierra Leone rebel Revolutionary United Front/military junta, Star radio reported today. It quoted Justice Minister Eddington Varmah as saying the 10 suspects, including a Briton and an Australian, were still undergoing interrogation. Nigeria has called for them to be handed over ECOMOG, but Varmah said the suspects were arrested in Liberia and "are answerable under Liberian law". He added that Nigeria had not made a formal request to the Liberian government.
The UN Special Representative for Liberia, Felix Downes-Thomas, has blamed security personnel for most human rights violations in the country, Star radio said Addressing a conference in Monrovia, he said the security forces were poorly paid and had little or no training in civil and human rights. External assistance was being withheld because of Liberia's poor human rights record, and he suggested that the problem be tackled "at the root cause".
GUINEA BISSAU: Portugal preparing aid
Portugal is preparing assistance to Guinea Bissau, one of its former colonies, after eight months of a military mutiny, a Portuguese foreign ministry official said yesterday (Tuesday) in Lisbon.
According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, the official, Luis Amado, announced that Lisbon would support the voluntary repatriation of Guinea Bissau officials who fled to Portugal during the conflict. Amado, who is the state secretary for foreign affairs and cooperation, said the next phase would be to prepare a three-year cooperation plan for Guinea Bissau. Portugal will also work with the international community to help the country recover sector-by-sector, he said.
Ministers still not at posts
Ministers in Guinea Bissau's newly installed and transitional government of national unity had still not occupied their posts yesterday because of the continued presence of Guinean and Senegalese troops in the country, news reports said today.
Lusa reported that Guinea Bissau Prime Minister Francisco Fadul was today due to present to President Joao Bernardo Vieira, a detailed report on an incident in which Senegalese troops prevented two ministers from visiting government installations.
Finance and Economy Minister Abubacar Dahba and Internal Administration Minister Caetano Intychama said they were stopped from entering the offices of the information and youth and sports departments.
The incident on Monday has left members of the national unity government uneasy, Lusa said quoting a government source. Vieira appealed publicly on Monday for the ministers to begin work.
Vieira called for Guinean and Senegalese troops in June 1998, to put down a revolt by some 90 percent of the Guinea-Bissau armed forces. Under a peace accord signed in November of that year, all Senegalese and Guinean troops are to withdraw by 28 February 1999.
The government source told Lusa that Fadul was also expected to meet with his predecessor, Carlos Correia, to receive government portfolios.
Fadul took charge of a transitional cabinet on Saturday but still maintains his headquarters at a bunker near the city's airport which is controlled by the anti-Vieira self-styled Military Junta.
CAPE VERDE: UN delivers medical equipment
The UN Population Fund has donated US $109,000 worth of medical equipment to Cape Verde, local fund director Essan Niangoran announced yesterday in Praia, the capital. The material will go towards improving reproductive and sexual health assistance, Lusa reported.
Portugal ready to help fight poverty
In a related issue, Portugal's assistant secretary of state for social integration, Rui Cunha, said in Praia yesterday that Lisbon would help Cape Verde fight poverty and social exclusion. His Cape Verdian counterpart, Manuela Silva, said her government had prepared "a programme and interesting proposals" to fight poverty on which Portugal could provide advice and lend its experience.
UNHCR: Updated guidelines on detaining asylum-seekers
UNHCR has updated its guidelines on the detention of asylum-seekers. According to a spokesman for the agency, UNHCR regretted the fact that, too often, asylum-seekers were held in prison, sometimes with common criminals. Detention of asylum-seekers should only take place in exceptional circumstances, such as for reasons of public safety or to ascertain identity, UNHCR said. Furthermore, detention must be prescribed by national law and conform to international standards. Children should not be placed in detention and particular attention should be paid to the vulnerable (torture and trauma victims, the sick, unaccompanied elderly), women and stateless people.
Where control of the residency of asylum-seekers is considered necessary, UNHCR urges states to examine alternatives to detention, such as a requirement to report regularly to the authorities or to live in a designated, but "open" reception centre, to ensure an adequate level of freedom of movement.
BENIN: Voter registration begins
Voter registration began in Benin on Sunday for parliamentary elections due on 28 March, news reports said. Registration will continue till 1 March, according to the national electoral commission (CENA), the missionary news agency MISNA reported.
Abidjan, 24 February 1999, 17:20 gmt
[ENDS]
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 14:55:02 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: Subject: IRIN-West Africa Weekly Round-up 7-99 for 1999.2.19
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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