1 March 1999
The SACP joins many other South African organisations in congratulating Olusegun Obansanjo on his victory in the Nigerian presidential election. We also congratulate millions of Nigerians who have fought over nearly two decades for an end to military rule in their country.
We believe that these presidential elections must be seen as the beginning, not the end of the democratisation process in Nigeria. The danger exists that the elections will simply camouflage a persisting domination of Nigerian politics by a narrow elite closely connected to military circles.
President-elect Obasanjo knows better than anyone that a return to civilian rule without major institutional democratisation, without the transformation of the military and without socio-economic change may be insubstantial and even short-lived. We call on the newly elected president, and on the people of Nigeria, to ensure that this weekend's elections do not mark another brief interlude in an otherwise dominant pattern of military rule.
Issued by the SACP Department of Information & Publicity
E-Mail: sacp1@wn.apc.org
South African Communist Party Head Office
COSATU House
No. 1 Leyds Street - 7th Floor
Braamfontein 2001
Republic of South Africa
(Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2)
(Fax: 27 11 339-4244)