Owerri — With the bold steps the Nigerian judiciary has taken to streamline the 2007 polls through annulments of rigged elections and unconstitutional imposition of candidates by agencies and godfathers, rigging of the forthcoming 2011 and subsequent elections would be difficult, a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Mayor Chukwudi Eze, has predicted.

Eze, who represents Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency in Imo State, said that with the extent the Judiciary had gone in exposing the ills of rigging in the Nigerian political system, no politicians would want be caught in the act any longer because they would be afraid of being thrown out after assumption of duty.

He was of the opinion that those who want to go in for any elective position in their respective states and constituencies should start now to sensitise their people as well as render their stewardship on what they had done in respect for those who had been elected before.

The federal lawmaker urged the media who he described as the watch dogs of the society, to assist the polity by showing patriotism and nationalism through monitoring of elections from start to finish and if possible write down the results as they monitor. This according to him will go a long way in curbing rigging and manipulation of election results.

"It is therefore the duty of the press is to show public opinion on national issues. Let the press not allow itself to be cowed. The press should also assist out of her patriotism and nationalism monitor the elections and take down records," he said.

Eze advised the executive arm of government to always work in harmony with the legislative arm so that frictions would be avoided. He stated that it is criminal for any executive not to implement any budget passed by the parliament because the parliament represents the people and which ever bill they passed are the making of the people.

He noted that the success of any democracy depended on the parliament and not on the executive, adding that the failure of the executive arm all over the world is the failure of oversight function of the parliament. According to him, modern democracies believe in direct representation through the electoral process, because it is a product of the people and not by a few cabals.