It is time to curb these activities, especially when these monitors do not know the local political or electoral dynamics and logistics on ground.

International organizations, other countries and mediums are welcomed to partner in election in Africa when the collaborate positively in conducting election in Africa, but the case were they arrogate to themselves as a different entity to compete on rules and regulations should not be tolerated. They too should come down to Africa and be trained on the lives and dynamics of the people whom the come to monitors.

You cannot monitor what you don’t know much about but use only unverified news reports and unverified and unvetted datas.

  A Look at the case of Nigeria and Kenya for examples: The European Union gave Nigeria some money to help conduct the election and also they wanted to attend and be part of the Independent National electoral commission of Nigeria (INEC) meetings, they wanted copy and information on biometric datas and information on all Nigerian registered voters which includes our presidents, Vice president, State Governors, the members of our national assembly, Nigeria Military, Judiciary and our security personells. Nigeria and INEC refused their money and their requests according to INEC Chairman Dr. Maurice IWU and INEC officials saying that Nigeria can fund its own election without outside help with its implications based on their demands. Right away before the election the European Union stated discrediting the Nigerian election preparation effort before the election, discrediting INEC leadership and Nigerian Government preparations for the election , because Nigeria denied them access which they should not have in the first place. Thereafter the stated discrediting the election and sowing discord among the citizens of Nigeria, the political parties and the ordinary people of Nigeria before, during and after the election.

  Nigeria was in a heated and charged situation during the election period, because at the time the Niger Delta Militants were brazen in kidnapping and taking over towns and villages in order to stopped the election, and they were Islamic militants coming from Northern Nigeria in Kano and Yobe states trying to take over those areas for their aims.

  We have to be thankful to the Nigerian military and intelligence agencies for stopping these incursions at that time of election . INEC and Nigerian authorities did a very good job in saving Nigeria another sad story in the history of Nigeria. Today INEC and Dr. Maurice Iwu has been vindicated when you look at what is happening to Kenyan people today because of election..

  On the other hand in Kenya, The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) accepted whole heartedly the help and money from the European Union and other International entities and countries and they were on the table, meetings and data sharing with Kenyans according to Electoral Commission of Kenya and European Union officials and as such Kenyans were left at the mercy of the European Union and their two face game officials. Right away the discredited the Kenyan election before, during and after the election and the result is that Kenyan Government , election authorities and their law and order was discredited and made useless in the face of the hungary, angry and already suffering people of Kenya. It was indeed the fire the mischevious political leaders needed to turn the people of Kenya against their Government and against one ethnic group against the other. This resulting in property destruction, Kenya on the verge of a civil war and more than 700 people killed by mob and more than three hundred thousand people displace and turn to refugees and the two face European Union is back to help settle the problem they help fueled – This is happening every time – year in year out. See a verified news report on the issue below.

. QUOTE QUOTING REUTERS of January 17, 2008 on aid to Kenya: “EU lawmakers want to freeze aid to Kenya Reuters | Thursday, 17 January 2008 QUOTE "European Union should freeze all aid to the Kenyan government until the crisis over President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election is solved, members of the European Parliament have said.

The lawmakers, who criticised the EU executive for disbursing 40.6 million euros ($NZ78.24 million) of aid a day after the election, said the result was not credible and called for a fresh vote if a fair recount was not possible.

The European Parliament "asks for the freezing of all further budgetary support to the government of Kenya until a political resolution to the present crisis has been found", Euro MPs said in a draft resolution discussed on Wednesday.

The disputed election has dented Kenya's democratic credentials and rattled donors. Post-election turmoil, in which hundreds have been killed, has hit Kenya's economy as well as supplies to east and central African neighbours.

Although its aid is limited compared with what it gives poorer African countries, the EU is one of Kenya's top donors, providing 290 million euros between 2002 and 2007.

Of that package 40.6 million euros was disbursed for a poverty reduction programme on December 28, a day after the election.

EU Aid and Development Commissioner Louis Michel came under fire for that on Wednesday. "It is unacceptable that that 40.6 million euros was sent a day after the election," British EU lawmaker Glenys Kinnock said, echoed by many others. Michel said the EU executive had waited for the election to be over to disburse the aid so as not to interfere with the campaign. It then disbursed it, before doubts over the results had emerged, to meet a year-end deadline. Michel ruled out suspending aid immediately, saying it could hurt the Kenyan people, but reiterated threats of a suspension of budgetary aid if the crisis remained unsolved. A further 383 million euros of EU aid to Kenya is planned for 2008-2013. "All the options are on the table," Michel told the assembly. "If there is not quickly a deal between the parties to return to calm ... budgetary aid ... will not continue, but we cannot purely and simply suspend all development aid," he said. EU diplomats are working on what actions the bloc would take if mediation fails, officials said.” UNQUOTE   AS an African I am tired and sick of the problems and havoc election has caused Africans. In 1966 My father, My family, uncles, relatives and thousands of my people and other tribes were butchered in Northern Nigeria during and after election culminating in a Military Coup, all because of election and it is still the same thing happening in Nigeria today and all over Africa because of election. My question is does election and democracy matters anymore in Africa? since it is really creating more problems for us. Is there any other alternative for selecting our leaders in Africa with out this mess when after the election the Powerful International organizations and mediums will turn around and discredit the election the supposedly supported. They will not even let the judiciary to play its role judging the outcome when cases are files or complaints tended before passing their own judgements.

  My heritage and faith as a person born in Northern Nigeria was totally destroyed – My fathers killing, my family killing, our business and our properties were taken away from us. We lost terribly and honestly I do not know why and how I still have a spiritual and emotional attachment to Nigeria - I just don’t know why. This nation Nigeria has hurt me and my family badly and this is the case all over Nigeria and across Africa with other families because of elections in Africa and the International organization slant and two face in every election in Africa and it is killing Africa.

  Right now, I feel safe emotionally, physically and spiritually in a foreign country than in Nigeria because remembering the psychological and emotional torment as a little boy when I saw my family being killed, dead bodies along the way to the train station and thousands of people being killed, tortured and as a refugees crammed in the a train station and trains from Kafanchan, Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Makurdi and finally feeling safe as we got to Enugu in the East of Nigeria. All along the trip we were packed like sardine and being terrified, hungery and dirty after many days on the run. Adults looking fearful and hopeless along the train ride to safety. In that train, It is a nightmare just remembering the look and fear in my mothers face and the fear in my brothers and sister face and other survivors. I just pray that no body should ever go through this kind of experience in Africa, but unfortunately it is still happening till today in Africa just because of election.

  The role of powerful International medium like BBC, VOA etc and international election monitors like the European Union monitors, United nation observers and other International organizations should be critically watched and their influence curbed, because of all the election conducted in Africa, these organizations like the European union arrogate to themselves the final judges of election in Africa, thereby undermining the constitution and authorities in Africa that conducts election.

  When these international organization discredit the election authorities and the authorities in the face of a heated election; it is humanly impossible for the natives or ordinary people to respect the law and order in place. The more role BBC, VOA and other powerful international organization in drowning the voices of authority in these countries the harder for free and fair election to take place. Before elections even starts in Africa the electoral bodies and authorities in Africa have already been discredited and painted black in the face of the world and the population is instigated with clouded negative information delivered to the suffering , ignorant and hungery majority in Africa and this a recipe for violence and break down of law and order before, during and after election in Africa. No election is perfect. The Europeans learned from their mistakes and so should they encourage Africans to learn from our own mistake. Going to town and announcing or condemning election before, during and after the election in Africa should stop by turning the people against their Government just because you are powerful and have the means is not right.

  Finally, I am imploring the European Union, United States of America, the United nation and all International organization to set up a development plan like a marshall plan for the whole of Africa just as was done for Europe (European Marshall plan for the whole of Europe at a time) after world war 11 for European development spearhead and funded soley by the United States Government.   A situation whereby in Africa , an East Africa country like Kenya is relatively doing well economically, but surrounded by failed states and countries in civil conflicts and wars like Somalia, Sudan(Darfur and Southern Region), Ethiopia, Ruwanda, Congo and Burundi etc, it will be impossible for Kenya to grow without being drown by the conflicts and lawlessnes in these countries surrounding it with much more population than Kenya.

  Further in West Africa, You cannot have a so call stable Ghana or Senegal or Cameroon when you have countries surrounding them in West Africa engaged in wars and Conflict like in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast etc and civil and internal unrest for many years for countries like Nigeria, Chad (Darfur Region). Which have 20 times the population of the so called stable small countries. It will not work.

  Stability and development cannot be an isolated case for each country in Africa. Development and stability should be across the board for the whole of Africa, particularly it should be on a regional basis for sustained stability and development for Africa like the European Marshall plan.

  Ugo Harris Ukandu Nigeria Democracy and Justice Project Washington, DC abujarock@yahoo.com