Yaounde: African election management bodies adopt five-year strategic plan.

The high-level meeting, which ran from October 6 to 7, 2025, brought together election experts and representatives from across Central Africa to chart a common vision for credible, transparent, and inclusive electoral processes in the sub-region.

The workshop was presided by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, on behalf of the government. 

According to organisers, the workshop aimed to validate a comprehensive set of specifications designed to strengthen electoral governance. 

Participants included Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, the European Centre for Electoral Support, ECES, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, EISA, the African Union and representatives from 11 Central African states, all members of ROGEAC.

In his opening remarks, Minister Atanga Nji underlined the timeliness of the workshop, coinciding with Cameroon’s own presidential elections. 

He highlighted the event’s importance in fostering regional cooperation, mutual learning, and the exchange of good practices in election management. 

“The Cameroonian government is pleased to host this workshop and remains committed to the proper organisation of elections in the countries of our sub-region. Only through credible and inclusive elections can we strengthen democracy and ensure stability in Central Africa,” he said.

The minister’s message revolved around three key themes: the importance of regional cooperation, the collective role of ROGEAC in promoting credible elections, and the government’s commitment to upholding democratic values.

Taking the floor, Chairman of the Electoral Board ELECAM, Dr Enow Abrams Egbe, stated that the central role of voter awareness, trust, and collaboration in ensuring transparent elections. 

He called for “open and inclusive cooperation among election stakeholders”, while urging ROGEAC to prioritize voter education and efforts to combat electoral apathy. 

“Confidence in the electoral process is fundamental”, he noted, is key as democracy thrives where voters are informed and institutions remain accountable.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the President of ROGEAC and head of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Independent National Electoral Commission; CENI, Denis Kadima, described democracy as “both a journey and a destination”. 

He noted that the network was created to enable countries to share experiences and learn from one another, rather than organize elections in isolation. 

“We must move forward together. This strategic plan gives us a clear vision and direction. Cameroon was chosen deliberately while observing its elections, we are also laying the foundation for stronger cooperation,” Kadima said. 

Discussions during the workshop centered on the pressing challenges confronting election bodies across the region from disinformation and voter disengagement to barriers affecting women, youth, and minorities. 

Participants also debated the integration of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, into electoral processes to improve efficiency, transparency, and real-time monitoring.

Worthy to note is the fact that the ROGEAC’s 2025–2030 strategic plan aligns with the African Union’s Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, and the ECCAS framework, which advocate for free, transparent and credible elections. 

The plan seeks to bolster institutional independence, capacity building, electoral financing, and conflict management, all while encouraging the professionalisation of electoral management bodies.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3589 of Thursday October 09, 2025