KIGALI - The Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, (NEC), Prof. Chrysologue Karangwa, has said that preparations for the upcoming local leaders’ elections are on track and that the Commission has so far adopted digital technologies to facilitate the process.

The elections are scheduled to take place in February and March 2011.

"Preparations for the local elections started in mid October with updating of the voters’ register in all villages. We finished updating the list on November 8, and we are currently inserting the collected details into our database,” said Karangwa.

He added that NEC officials were all over the country conducting training of local authorities on the election calendar.

Karangwa added that the practice of updating voters’ register has been decentralized and that it is currently done it districts.

"We have developed a network system with the help of MTN to have data consolidated at a district level and wired to NEC headquarters,” said Karangwa.

Regarding digitizing of the election preparation procedures, Karangwa pointed out that so far, voters can check their voting details on the commission’s website (www.comelena.gov.rw) by inserting their national I.D number.

"We also have a provision for voters to get their voting details on their mobile phone,” added Karangwa.

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