Regional elections: ELECAM regional bosses, collaborators sharpen skills.

Participants were trained on procedures governing the voting of Regional Councillors. 

According to the Deputy Director General of Elections at ELECAM, Abdoulkarimou, the initiative falls in line with the institution’s readiness strategy for the upcoming polls. 

He highlighted that the training was crucial for acquainting staff with the specificities of the election process, which involves two distinct electoral colleges.

Abdoukarimou said: “There are two-stage elections and two separate electoral colleges, each with its ballot box. One election for each polling station and for each Electoral College. It is a fairly complex election at that level”.

He further emphasised the importance of the Regional Supervisory Commission, describing it as a key structure responsible for centralising results, verifying minutes, and announcing results at the divisional level.

At the divisional level, the official said two sets of results would emerge: one from the municipal council college, responsible for electing divisional delegates, and another from the college of traditional rulers, responsible for choosing their representatives.

He noted that ELECAM’s logistical preparations is complete. The exercise, he said, has a smaller voter base compared to nationwide elections

“We have just over 25,000 voters compared to previous elections which involved over eight million voters. We have barely 200 polling stations. Logistically, we have been ready for this election for a long time. All documents, including ballots, tally sheets, and electoral rolls, have already been printed and distributed. Everything is in place,” he assured.

Enter facilitators

Among the facilitators was Crescentia Dingah, International Consultant in Governance, Development and Elections. Dingah underscored the importance of the training in upholding electoral integrity.

“This is the implementation phase, and ELECAM is taking these steps to train those who will, in turn, train others on the field,” the expert noted, adding that: “The goal is to ensure that the process follows the rules and regulations and adheres to international standards for organizing free, fair, transparent, and credible elections”.

Capacity building, Dingah said, remains a vital component of election management, especially for the regional elections, which combine both municipal and traditional representation.

Another facilitator was Prof Mfonka Abdoulaye, Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Boulogne, France also a seasoned expert in electoral matters. He reminded participants of the ethical and professional principles governing electoral conduct.

“The election of Regional Councillors is a specific process that requires respect for ethics and professionalism,” he noted, adding that, “…participants should be capable of organizing this election transparently, thus enhancing the credibility of our country”.

Prof Mfonka further emphasized the place of transparency, fairness, neutrality, and non-interference in the electoral process.

“This is a very sensitive process because it involves Regional Councillors, who are the secular arm of the region and responsible for implementing local development policies,” he added.

The workshop, according to officials, underlines ELECAM’s commitment to ensuring a transparent and credible regional election. With the upcoming polls will be the second ELECAM is organising.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3623 of Thursday November 13, 2025