Ex-President Jonathan Gets New Appointment

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been appointed the Chairman of the African Union’s International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP).

Naija News reports that the ISCP is a body made up of mainly African former Presidents and ex-Heads of State.

Speaking at the International Leadership Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jonathan urged the AU to set minimum acceptable standards for appointing the leadership of electoral commissions.

He said: “It is interesting that almost all the EMBs in Africa are identified with the prefix ‘Independent’, but the jury is still out on whether these agencies are truly independent as their names imply.

“The AU should, through its Political Affairs Department, set up a team of electoral experts to study different models and recommend the system they consider best for the continent.

“Such benchmark should also take cognizance of the need to review the election of judicial processes to ensure that, where election tribunals are set up to specifically handle election cases, one judicial officer do not handle the role of appointing all members of the tribunals.

“Since neutrality of the security services is absolutely necessary in ensuring free and fair elections, it is also important that the Africa Union should establish a code of conduct guiding security officials in charge of elections. All these recommendations should be accommodated in AU’s procedures for elections that should serve as guidelines for election observers.”