Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan being sworn in during the aftermath of the death of Umaru Yar'Adua. The late president had been ill for months and was unable to function as leader.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Monday, 08 November 2010 00:00
From Laolu Akande, New York
Nigeria Guardian
THE United States (U.S.) government has restated its call for a better election in Nigeria next year than was the case in 2007.
Speaking to The Guardian at the weekend, the White House Spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, Mike Hammer, said Nigeria’s elections next year "are critically important." He spoke against the backdrop of the changes in the timetable that made specific dates of elections unknown for now.
When asked whether the U.S. is concerned, about the 2011 elections in Nigeria, Hammer said: "Nigeria's upcoming elections are critically important. There must be an improvement on the flawed process of 2007. The Nigerian people deserve a fair and timely process with which to choose their leaders."
According to Hammer, who later flew out of U.S. at the weekend with President Obama on a trip to Asia, the U.S. is also interested in expanding its cooperation with Nigeria on several fronts. He noted that the move formed the basis of the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission, which was signed by both countries earlier this year.
According to Hammer, elections and moving anti-corruption efforts forward are some of the critical components of the commission.
"As you know, earlier this year, Secretary Clinton and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, launched the U.S.–Nigeria Binational Commission. As part of the Binational Commission, there is the Good Governance, Transparency, and Integrity Working Group. And, in May of this year, Under Secretary Maria Otero launched this working group in Abuja.
“Such a move reflects the United States interest in expanding cooperation and strengthening the bilateral relationship across a broad range of shared interests. We stand ready to partner with Nigeria to address the critical challenges of ensuring fair and transparent elections and advancing anti-corruption efforts," the U.S. official said.
Earlier before the interview, Hammer had addressed a press conference in Washington DC where he said the Obama administration reassured the world that the U.S. president is still committed to having a better American standing in the world even after last Tuesday's polls where Obama’s party lost over 60 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, loosing control of the U.S. Congress.
According to Hammer, the Obama administration will be taking steps "in the coming months to reassure you around the world that we are very much committed and the President is going to continue as he has done since January 21st, 2009, to work every day on advancing our American interests and advancing our foreign policy."
The NSC spokesperson added that on coming to office, President Obama "certainly wanted to re-establish American leadership role and have better American standing in the world," including recognising emerging powers such as India, South Africa and Brazil.
According to Hammer, the U.S. government wants to do what is necessary "not only to advance American interests but also to promote economic prosperity around the globe, because in this interdependent world, it’s not just about having our economy in order, but rather we also need to internationally address it and we need to address the financial crisis."
No comments:
Post a Comment