2015: US invites INEC, parties for talks in Washington
To ensure a peaceful and credible elections in 2015, the United States
has invited political stakeholders in the country for talks.
The conference, scheduled for April in Washington, is being coordinated by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
In a letter signed by Richard Downie, Deputy Director and Fellow, Africa Programme at CSIS, those expected at the conference are senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party leaders from both the ruling and the opposition parties, Nigerian police and other persons involved in the preparations and conduct of the 2015 elections.
Participants are expected to discuss the conduct of politicians before, during and after the elections; their views on the processes leading to the elections, preparations put in place; and what they see as potential risk factors and flashpoints issues and locations.
The letter further reads: ” Our main public event will be a conference on the morning of April 7 in which we would ask you to prepare some remarks on the state of party preparations for the elections.
“In particular, our audience will be interested to hear how the APC
views its role in contributing to an atmosphere in which free, fair, and
peaceful elections can take place; what it expects from its candidates
in terms of good conduct around the elections; how it views INEC’s
preparations; what it sees as the potential risk factors/flashpoint
issues and locations.
“Finally, because the audience will include many U.S. policymakers, what – if anything – the United States can do to support Nigeria as it holds this critical set of elections.
“We would ask that your presentation is fairly brief – approximately 10 minutes long.
“You will have a chance to speak in more detail in the private meetings which follow the conference.
“We intend to have an off the record session with a smaller group of Nigeria experts, a private dinner with senior US policymakers, and a set of meetings on the Tuesday with officials at the Department of State, White House and U.S. Congress,” it added.
The conference, scheduled for April in Washington, is being coordinated by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
In a letter signed by Richard Downie, Deputy Director and Fellow, Africa Programme at CSIS, those expected at the conference are senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party leaders from both the ruling and the opposition parties, Nigerian police and other persons involved in the preparations and conduct of the 2015 elections.
Participants are expected to discuss the conduct of politicians before, during and after the elections; their views on the processes leading to the elections, preparations put in place; and what they see as potential risk factors and flashpoints issues and locations.
The letter further reads: ” Our main public event will be a conference on the morning of April 7 in which we would ask you to prepare some remarks on the state of party preparations for the elections.
“Finally, because the audience will include many U.S. policymakers, what – if anything – the United States can do to support Nigeria as it holds this critical set of elections.
“We would ask that your presentation is fairly brief – approximately 10 minutes long.
“You will have a chance to speak in more detail in the private meetings which follow the conference.
“We intend to have an off the record session with a smaller group of Nigeria experts, a private dinner with senior US policymakers, and a set of meetings on the Tuesday with officials at the Department of State, White House and U.S. Congress,” it added.
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