I am more concerned on the Diasporan vote. Let's get the solution(s) trickling in and then we can present a solution to GEJ on FB.

[size=14pt]CountdowNigeria@50-50 Jonathan: Books and CDs for the few? Nigeria@50 Arts Ambassadors; Falconets; INEC and Diaspora voting[/size]

Tony Marinho 11/08/2010 00:00:00
THANKS to The Nation’s Art Editor and all who thought beyond my picture ‘Suffering Soles’ on August 4. ‘CongratsObama@49’ though he is too young to hold some political, ‘age-grade’, posts in Nigeria. How many ‘congrats’ adverts in America? Nigerians, learn this and text/e-mail governors, wives or child ‘clocking’ something!

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It is a pity that Professor Jega of INEC is portrayed as rejecting ‘Diaspora voting’, rather than challenging Diasporans to demonstrate its feasibility. There are some five million qualified Nigerians abroad mostly economic and political refugees fleeing The Buhari-Babangida-Abacha Dark-BAD-Ages. Some ask ‘Who will they vote for?’ and ‘Should they be ‘allowed’ to vote?’ rather than ‘Can they physically or electronically vote?’

Diaspora voting is not nuclear physics. Many countries, like France, have Diaspora voting, compulsorily. Ask them how. Diasporan Nigerians contribute millions to Nigeria, want to participate, are concentrated in IT high tech nations and are identifiable electronically in professional or country databases. It is easy to recruit, process, record, authenticate and arrange a Diaspora register by country as a demonstration of INEC good faith and competence. Nigeria is at a crossroads of ‘brain vs. brawn’ and the ‘New Improved INEC’ can proudly say ‘Yes We Can’ and initiate Diaspora voting by considering:

• Appoint INEC COMMISSIONER[S] FOR THE DIASPORA BY CONTINENT

• Appoint an INEC COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE in every country world wide from a list of five per country recommended by standard criteria of honesty, good job, recognition in community and neutrality.

• Prepare a Country based COMPUTERISED DATABASE OF ALL 18+years old DIASPORA RESIDENTS by e-mail, photoID, and other authentication eg Professional body, work reports etc.

• Prepare a DIASPORA VOTER’S CARD SYSTEM. Diaspora Voters Cards, DVC, Number D0000001- D5,000,000 with D meaning Diaspora. The international standard letters and the country’s flag maybe, may signify the country of residence eg D-UK or D-USA or D-GER, or D-CHI for Diasporan in UK, USA, Germany and China.

• Allocate Numbers on estimates eg 0000001- 2000000 for UK, 2000001-3500000 for USA, 3500001-4000000 to Germany.

• The citizens will register by post, presence or group bodies with photo and biometrics.

• Election will be by voting through e-mail, password, mail, postal ballot, or local INEC Agents with representation of political parties, civil society and observers.

• Counting will be supervised and in public, using IT, and transmitted publicly to INEC Nigeria for collation.

• On return to Nigeria such Diaspora Voters Cards, DVCs will be exchangeable with local voter’s cards.

• Voting can be one week before Nigeria’s election dates.

Diasporan IT wiz kids should kick-start the database for a parallel ‘Test Case Diaspora 2011 Election’ to prove it is possible, if INEC finds it ‘impossible’ to ‘enfranchise’ Nigerian Diasporans. ‘Yes We Must’. Who is afraid of the Diaspora vote?

Nothing good is impossible for Citizens Nigeria, home and Diasporan, as we CountdowNigeria@50-50.
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