US Codex
Bill
Notes

S. Con. Res. 1 — what changed

Calling for credible, transparent, and safe elections in Nigeria, and for other purposes.

From Introduced in Senate to Engrossed in Senate. 1 section amended between Introduced in Senate and Engrossed in Senate.

changed That the Senate—Congress—

(1)
changed reaffirms that the people commitment of the United States will continue to stand with the people of Nigeria in support of supporting peace and democracy;democracy in Nigeria;
(2)
changed calls on the Government of Nigeria and all Nigerian political parties and actors to—
(A)
changed take actions to facilitate elections that are credible, transparent, transparent , and peaceful in order to support elections that reflect the will of the people and advance the consolidation of democracy and the stability of the broader region;
(B)
changed condemn in the strongest terms the use of speech that incites to violence, and refrain from any rhetoric or action that seeks efforts to demonize or delegitimize opponents, sow division among Nigerians, or otherwise inflame tensions;
(C)
changed seek to resolve any disputes over results peacefully, including through the legal system judicial processes as necessary; andnecessary;
(D)
changed respect the impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission;Commission; and
(E)
added take measures to combat vote buying;
(3)
calls on the Government of Nigeria to—
(A)
refrain from deploying security forces in a partisan manner;
(B)
changed ensure that security services maintain the highest level of professionalism and impartiality in facilitating the electoral process, enable accredited observers and journalists to perform their work, and protect the right of citizens to exercise their votes freely;freely; and
(C)
changed move expeditiously to finalize the proposed reforms to the legal framework for enforce laws against election malfeasance, including vote buying, and ensure equal and robust application of such laws through appropriate mechanisms, including through the 2019 elections; andestablishment of an Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal;
(D)
removed enforce laws against election malfeasance, including vote buying, and ensure equal and robust application through such measures as the establishment of the Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal;
(4)
urges all Nigerians to fully and peacefully engage in the electoral process, insist on full enfranchisement, reject inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions, and seek to resolve any disputes over results through the legal system;
(5)
changed calls upon the Independent National Electoral Commission to sustain confidence and trust in its management of the electoral process by—by taking effective measures to—
(A)
changed taking concrete measures to combat vote buying through voter education campaigns, enforcement of laws against voter inducement, and a nationwide ban on cell phones in the voting cubicle;campaigns;
(B)
changed releasing specimen ballots well institute a nationwide ban on cell phones in advance of Election Day so that civil society and other electoral stakeholders can conduct sufficient education to orient voters;the voting cubicle;
(C)
changed making adequate arrangements to ensure the participation in the election of internally displaced persons (IDPs); and
(D)
changed taking steps to clean the voter roll rolls and ensure timely production and distribution of the Permanent Voter Card to new voters;
(6)
encourages political parties in Nigeria to adhere to and enforce existing codes of conduct that commit parties to democratic electoral standards regarding campaign use of resources, engagement of voters, peaceful resolution of disputes, and acceptance of verified and credible results;
(7)
condemns any efforts on the part of any politicians or political parties in Nigeria to politicize the security and law enforcement agencies;
(8)
encourages civil society organizations in Nigeria to—
(A)
promote the peaceful participation of citizens in the electoral process and draw on existing inter-religious and peacebuilding bodies to enhance their efforts;
(B)
disseminate information about citizen-based observation findings and analysis to increase public knowledge and understanding about the conduct of the elections; and
(C)
changed continue leading important early warning and response mechanisms activities to mitigate election-related violence, including monitoring efforts to incite violence or further inflame tensions;
(9)
changed supports efforts by the Department of State, including the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist election-related preparation elections preparations in Nigeria, including through programs focused on conflict mitigation; and
(10)
calls on the United States Government and other international partners, especially election-focused nongovernmental organizations, to—
(A)
changed continue to support efforts by the Government of Nigeria to address the remaining electoral preparation challenges and identify gaps in which additional resources or diplomatic engagement could make important contributions to the conduct of the credible, transparent elections; and
(B)
changed support civil society organizations and media organizations working towards to enhance transparency and accountability in the use of state resources around the election period.