SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015 INTERNATIONAL Nigeria faces critical six weeks to polling day

LAGOS: Nigerians had been due to elect National Electoral Commission’s accept- uine concerns” for a free, fair and credible violence-wracked northeast. Court lawyer Festus Keyamo warned: “Any fur- a new president yesterday until the elec- ance of advice from the country’s security election, the spokesman said. action could equally come from the PDP ther postponement beyond the 30 days toral commission delayed the vote by six chief and its impact on the political cam- if there are further problems in issuing to the May 29 handover date will be a weeks, citing fears about security and the paign. The All Progressives Congress Legal action all voter cards to the 68.8 million regis- recourse to civil disobedience and ongoing Boko Haram insurgency. The (APC) and its candidate Muhammadu Should elections go ahead on March tered electors or if there are claims from unrest.” Violence “may prompt the mili- country will now go to the polls for presi- Buhari were seen as mounting the first 28, they would be within the timeframe either side of voter fraud. A key question tary to seize power and truncate the cur- dential and parliamentary elections on serious opposition challenge to President under electoral laws that stipulate vot- will be whether any disputes can be rent democratic dispensation”, he March 28, with gubernatorial and state Goodluck Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic ing cannot be held later than 30 days resolved before the handover, particu- added. house assembly polls two weeks later on Party (PDP). before the handover of power. larly if there is a repeat of the deadly Political risk consultants Verisk April 11. The delay has triggered wide- The result was even predicted to be Jonathan, whose term of office expires post-poll violence that killed some 1,000 Maplecroft said unrest could at worst spread debate about what happens next, close to call, with the prospect of the PDP on April 30, has twice described the May people in 2011. inflame tensions between the largely particularly if no significant progress is being dumped out of power for the first 29 date for the transfer of power as Christian south and Muslim-majority made in tackling the Islamist insurgency time in 16 years. Buhari, a former military “sacrosanct”. But should he and his party Further delay north. It warned of a “post-election crisis- raging in the north and there is a further ruler, called the election delay “a crude not gain any advantage from the pro- National security advisor Sambo similar to Cote d’Ivoire in 2010/2011 or postponement. Amid fears of widespread and fraudulent attempt to subvert the longed campaign and stall the APC’s Dasuki has said the vote will not be Kenya in 2007/2008 - potentially even violence, the coming weeks are seen as electoral process”, while the APC has momentum, the vote is likely to remain rescheduled again but many believe his escalating as far as civil war”. The APC and among the most important since civilian alleged that the PDP used the military for close-and could even lead to a re-run. six-week deadline to effectively crush others have recalled the political turmoil rule was restored in 1999. “The next six political ends. Jonathan’s campaign Legal action is a real possibility, par- Boko Haram is unrealistic. “Despite the after military ruler Ibrahim Babangida can- weeks are laden with difficult struggles to spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode described ticularly if the military is unable to recent interventions by Chadian and celled elections in June 1993, when the protect Nigeria’s hard-won democracy,” the APC as having “paranoid delusions” secure and stabilize the restive north- Cameroonian forces, Boko Haram has business tycoon Moshood Abiola was set the International Crisis Group’s Nigeria and “far-fetched and childish conspiracy east, allowing hundreds of thousands of proved its continued ability to disrupt,” to win. But Nigeria’s Attorney General researcher Nnamdi Obasi wrote. theories” about the date shift. The distri- displaced people to vote. The APC has wrote Obasi, noting that a wider region- Mohammed Bello Adoke dismissed talk of Political argument bution of voter identity cards, which is already said the integrity of the overall al force has yet to deploy. A slight delay a military “interim national government”, Much of the discussion in the last not yet complete, and the ability to result would be in doubt if voters are after March 28 would still fall within the saying there was no provision in the con- week has centered on the Independent ensure security were “legitimate and gen- disenfranchised in its stronghold in the 30-day limit before May 29. But Lagos stitution implemented in 1999. —AFP Boko Haram invades restive city of Gombe Islamists take fight into Chad

KANO: Hundreds of Boko Haram A Nigerian fighter jet encircled The Boko Haram fighters launched its first offensive on the Islamists yesterday invaded the the city but made no attempt to appealed to residents to boycott city, killing 14 people in a bomb restive northeast Nigerian city of attack the insurgents, said witness the elections which had originally attack on a police station. Soldiers Gombe, firing heavy guns and Kabiru Na-Gwandu. He said the resi- been planned to take place yester- repelled another attack on a near- throwing leaflets calling on resi- dents had been warned to evacuate day before they were postponed by prison. Locals said prior to yes- dents to boycott upcoming general Gombe, which has been attacked until March 28. Gombe has been terday’s invasion, the militants had elections, locals said. “The Boko by the insurgents previously. “I repeatedly hit by suicide attacks camped at Hani village, 36 kilome- Haram gunmen are now at the received calls from friends in and other bombings blamed on ters from Gombe, where they preached to locals and informed them they were on their way to take over the governor’s office in the city. “They came around 6:00 VATICAN CITY: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (right) greets Pope Francis in St am (0500GMT) and took over the Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican yesterday. Pope Francis welcomed 20 new car- military checkpoint that was curi- dinals yesterday into the elite club of churchmen who will elect his successor ously abandoned by soldiers on and immediately delivered a tough- love message to them, telling them to Thursday,” resident Mustapha Baba put aside their pride, jealousy, self-interests and anger and instead exercise told AFP. perfect charity. _AP Ongoing offensive He said the insurgents had fled Pope to new cardinals: Put from the Galda forest in neighbor- ing Yobe state following ongoing aside pride, jealousy, anger offensive on their camps by Nigerian troops. The Nigerian mili- VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis welcomed 20 Christmas to Vatican bureaucrats. Then, he tary last week launched a ground new cardinals yesterday into the elite club of ticked off 15 ailments including “spiritual and aerial offensive on Boko Haram churchmen who will elect his successor and Alzheimer’s” and the “terrorism of gossip,” camps in the Galda forest, from immediately delivered a tough-love mes- that can afflict men of the church even at its where the Islamists are believed to sage to them, telling them to put aside their highest levels. be planning attacks in the area. In pride, jealousy and self-interests and instead This is Francis’ second consistory creating the past few weeks, the group has exercise perfect charity. Francis issued the new cardinals and once again he looked to stepped up its offensive both with- marching orders during the ceremony in St the “peripheries” to give greater geographic in Nigeria and against border Peter’s Basilica to elevate the new “princes of representation to the Europe-centric towns of neighboring countries, the church” into the College of Cardinals and College of Cardinals. His choices, though, forcing Nigerian general elections give them their new red hats. Retired Pope also reflect his vision for what the church that were scheduled for yesterday Benedict XVI was on hand for the ceremony, should be: One that looks out for the poor to be postponed by six weeks. sitting off to the side in the front row of the and most marginalized, guided by shep- On Friday, Boko Haram fighters basilica, in a unique blending of popes past, herds who have what he has called the attacked Chad for the first time, tar- present and future. Francis embraced him at “smell” of their sheep. They include Cardinal geting a village on the shores of the start and end of the service and a cluster Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga, a tiny NOUGBOUA: A picture shows the village Nougboua after it was attacked by Nigeria’s Boko Lake Chad. The attack marked a of cardinals lined up to greet him before island state in the middle of the Pacific Haram rebels. Nigeria’s Boko Haram rebels carried out their first attack inside neighboring new escalation in the group’s processing out. Ocean on the front lines of global warming. Chad, targeting a village on the shores of Lake Chad as part of a widening insurgency that has bloody six-year campaign to estab- Many of the new cardinals hail from far- Another is Cardinal Francesco Montenegro sucked in four countries. —AFP lish a hardline Islamic caliphate in flung, often overlooked dioceses where of Agrigento, Sicily, whose church - which northeast Nigeria, which borders Catholics are a distinct minority - a reflection extends to the island of Lampedusa - has Jeka-da-Fari roundabout in the cen- Kwadam, which is five kilometers the Islamists in the six-year insur- Cameroon, Chad and Niger, a cam- of Francis’ insistence that the church look to coped with the arrival of tens of thousands tre of the city, firing indiscriminate- away, warning me to leave because gency in Nigeria’s northeast. Two paign that has killed some 13,000 the peripheries and reflect them in its gover- of migrants over the years. ly and throwing pamphlets calling Boko Haram were on their way,” said weeks ago, two suicide bombers people since 2009. Nigeria, nance. Several are pastors who, like Francis, And there’s the archbishop of David, on people not to participate in the Na-Gwandu, who lives near the mili- blew themselves up outside a sta- Cameroon, Chad and Niger this have focused their ministries on the poor Panama, Cardinal Jose Luis Lacunza elections,” resident Ali Dahiru said. tary base in the city. “I evacuated my dium, just minutes after President month launched an unprecedented and disenfranchised. In his homily, Francis Maestrojuan, who works with indigenous Other witnesses said the extremists house along with my family before Goodluck Jonathan had left the joint effort to crush the Islamists, reminded his newest collaborators that peoples to protect them from mining inter- stormed the city around 9:00 am they arrived in the city and I’m hap- venue where he had given a cam- raising hopes that the insurgents- being a cardinal isn’t a prize or fancy entitle- ests. While cardinals are called on to advise (0800 GMT) and advanced without py that I did because from informa- paign speech. Many people were who have outgunned Nigeria’s ment, but rather a way to serve the church the pope, their primary job is to elect a new any resistance from the security tion I’m receiving they have taken injured. national army-might finally have better in humility and tenderness. one. Only those under age 80 can partici- forces. over the military barracks,” he said. In February 2012, Boko Haram met their match. —AFP He warned them that not even church- pate in a conclave and with Saturday’s addi- men are immune from the temptation to be tions, their number stands at 125 - five over jealous, angry or proud, or to pursue their the traditional cap, though four of them will own self-interests, even when “cloaked in turn 80 this year. The college as a whole Ukraine fighting kills 28 noble appearances.” “Even here, charity, and numbers 227. In addition to naming 15 vot- charity alone, frees us,” he said. “Above all it ing-age cardinals, Francis also made five eld- frees us from the mortal danger of pent-up erly churchmen cardinals to honor their anger, of that smoldering anger which service to the church. One of them, as clock ticks to ceasefire makes us brood over wrongs we have Colombian Cardinal JosÈ de Jes˙s Pimiento received. No. This is unacceptable in a man Rodriguez, wasn’t able to make the trip to of the church.” In some ways, his tough Rome for the ceremony because of his age: DONETSK: Fighting raged in Ukraine yesterday, throwing pro-Russian separatist rebels was already undermining agreement is in great danger,” Poroshenko said during a words were a toned-down version of the He turns 96 next week and will have his red doubts on a ceasefire deal due to take effect over the the peace plan reached in Minsk on Thursday. At least 28 meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. blistering critique he delivered right before hat delivered to him.—AP weekend, as the US said Russia was still deploying heavy civilians and soldiers were reported killed in the latest “After what we concluded in Minsk, these are not only arms and Kiev warned that shelling of civilians had inten- upsurge in fighting. attacks against civilians but also against the Minsk agree- sified. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the con- “Unfortunately after the Minsk agreement, Russia’s ment,” he added, referring to the shelling of the town of In Russia, battle for university tinuing bombardment of civilians in eastern Ukraine by offensive has significantly increased. We still think that the Artemivsk that killed three people including a seven-year- old. The ceasefire, due to take effect from 2200 GMT places deflates Crimea euphoria Saturday, will be the first test of the commitment by Kiev and pro-Russian separatists to the freshly-inked peace MOSCOW: Alexandra Kartokhina always going to apply, they’ve reduced the number of plan. But with separatists fighting to conquer more territo- dreamed of studying in a big city. She even went budget places because of Crimean students and ry ahead of the truce and Kiev forces digging in, there are to a Russian school in her native Crimea to help now there’s no chance of getting one,” Katya, an fears over whether anyone will observe the truce, consid- her achieve her ambition of studying in St applicant from Moscow, told a local magazine, ered vital to the success of the peace roadmap. Petersburg. But now that dream has been taint- echoing several people who did not want to be ed. After winning a place at a university in quoted for fear of being seen as unpatriotic. For Fresh fighting Russia’s second city on an equal footing with Kartokhina, the criticism is unjust, especially The United States said it believed Russia was continu- other students, she has to deal with “the eternal after she studied for, and passed Russia’s unified ing to deploy heavy weapons ahead of the ceasefire. State squabbles” over accusations that Crimeans are state exam to gain entry to the university of her Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United stealing “Russian” places. choice - unlike most other students in Crimea States had received reports of heavy weapons being Nearly a year after Russia took Crimea from who were schooled in the Ukrainian system. moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia over the past few Ukraine, Alexandra’s experiences point to some She says Crimean students’ special status will days, and more apparently on the way. “This is clearly not of the first signs of resentment among Russians, be short-lived and was necessary to allow in the spirit of this week’s agreement,” Psaki told reporters. potentially complicating President Vladimir school-leavers to go to universities without hav- She said the Russian military had deployed large amounts Putin’s calculation over Ukraine. Trying to get ing to repeat years to take the exam. “As for of artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems and was places in Russia’s dwindling number of good these eternal squabbles that students from using them to shell Ukrainian positions. universities is competitive and often expensive. Crimea are taking university places from “We are confident that these are Russian military, not Trying to get a “budget place”, or free tuition, is Russians, I can say only that it’s completely separatist systems,” she said, adding that Russian troops even more challenging, with parents often absurd,” said Kartokhina, pointing out that the along the border were preparing a large shipment of sup- spending huge sums on tutoring their children places for Crimean students were in addition to, plies to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Friday’s to get the required grades or number of points. rather than part of, those places set aside for fresh fighting came after rebels and Kiev agreed to the With the economy heading for recession and Russians. “And let me say that they have only wide-ranging plan on Thursday following marathon talks education targeted by budget cuts, the stream allocated budgeted places for Crimean students in the Belarusian between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, of students from Crimea is adding to simmering to some universities and in some specialisms, France and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel anger over how much Russians are having to which are often not the best. In some universi- has warned Russia that the EU, which has already slapped pay for annexing the peninsula from Ukraine in ties, questions about quotas are met with a DONETSK: The body of a dead pro-Russian separatist lies on a sidewalk after a shell Moscow with sanctions over the crisis, is not ruling out March last year. “In many universities where I was shrug and a puzzled look.” —Reuers exploded in central part of the Eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk yesterday. —AFP further measures if the truce fails. —AFP