By Yang Ater Yang
United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (UN IEAT) organized a 3-day “Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections” (BRIDGE) workshop in Lakes State.
The training covered electoral principles, the legal framework for the electoral process, an overview of the electoral system, the roles and functions of the Electoral Management Body (EMB), and the electoral cycle.
The 25 participants included representatives from civil society organizations, UNMISS staff, government officials, members of the Human Rights Commission, and the High Election Committee.
Doreen Akecam Mamer, the Women’s Aid Vision (WAV) project manager and GBV coordinator, said the workshop provided valuable insights.
“I was able to learn a lot, especially about how an electoral body can help organize elections and play a role in ensuring credible elections,” she said.
Mamer explained that the training equipped her with skills to educate the public on the voting process, voter registration, and how to participate effectively as a voter, candidate, or electoral body member.
“I now have the knowledge and skills to educate the masses and share information with those who did not have it before,” she added.
Daniel Laat Kon, the CEPO coordinator, also participated in the 3-day BRIDGE training.
He said the workshop covered the election cycle, the roles of civil society and the EMB in the pre-election, election, and post-election periods.
“The training has really informed us about the important aspects of voter education, voter information, and civic education,” he noted.
Kot Kuocnin Kuer, the chairperson of the High Election Committee in Lakes State, said the workshop addressed the legal framework, disability and gender mainstreaming, voter registration, and civic education.
However, he highlighted the need for more comprehensive training, including topics such as election planning, voter registration processes, and vote counting and tabulation.
Ossama Kamel, the UNMISS facilitator of the BRIDGE training, explained that the curriculum was developed by five international organizations, including the UN and the Australian Electoral Commission.
The 3-day workshop focused on introducing participants to election administration, including the electoral cycle, international standards, legal frameworks, EMB responsibilities, and issues related to gender equality and disability rights in the electoral process.
Kamel said the UNMISS team has conducted four workshops in different states and plans to hold two more in the coming weeks, as part of their efforts to build the capacity of stakeholders in the electoral process.