[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 29 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1391-S1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 190. Mr. McCONNELL (for Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. Risch)) 
proposed an amendment to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 1, 
calling for credible, transparent, and safe elections in Nigeria, and 
for other purposes; as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following: ``That Congress--
       (1) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     supporting peace and democracy in Nigeria;

[[Page S1392]]

       (2) calls on the Government of Nigeria and all Nigerian 
     political parties and actors to--
       (A) take actions to facilitate credible, transparent , and 
     peaceful elections that reflect the will of the people and 
     advance the consolidation of democracy and the stability of 
     the broader region;
       (B) condemn in the strongest terms the use of speech that 
     incites violence, and refrain from efforts to demonize or 
     delegitimize opponents, sow division among Nigerians, or 
     otherwise inflame tensions;
       (C) seek to resolve any disputes over results peacefully, 
     including through judicial processes as necessary;
       (D) respect the impartiality of the Independent National 
     Electoral Commission; and
       (E) 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) 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; and
       (C) enforce laws against election malfeasance, including 
     vote buying, and ensure equal and robust application of such 
     laws through appropriate mechanisms, including through the 
     establishment of an 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) calls upon the Independent National Electoral 
     Commission to sustain confidence and trust in its management 
     of the electoral process by taking effective measures to--
       (A) combat vote buying through voter education campaigns;
       (B) institute a nationwide ban on cell phones in the voting 
     cubicle;
       (C) ensure the participation in the election of internally 
     displaced persons (IDPs); and
       (D) clean the voter 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) continue leading important early warning and response 
     activities to mitigate election-related violence, including 
     monitoring efforts to incite violence or further inflame 
     tensions;
       (9) supports efforts by the Department of State and the 
     United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to 
     assist 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) 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 credible, transparent elections; and
       (B) support civil society organizations and media 
     organizations working to enhance transparency and 
     accountability in the use of state resources around the 
     election period.
                                 ______