Stakeholders review presidential elections

KIGALI - OFFICIALS from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Media High Council (MHC) and the Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP), met yesterday in a one-day conference to review the recently completed presidential electoral process and identify areas for future improvement of national elections. The conference was jointly organized by the Forum of Political Parties (FRPP) and NDI. In his presentation, the Executive Secretary of FRPP, Anicet Kayigema, commended all the bodies that provided independent observers and made the electoral process a success. He also revealed that FRPP had dispersed over 100 observers in districts and sectors during the presidential elections. Patrice Mulama, the Executive Secretary of MHC, said in his presentation that all journalists were required to report in a non-partisan manner and suppress their own political views, in order to allow the public to make independent decisions solely on the basis of what the various candidates were offering. “The requirement of equal coverage of all the competing parties was, for the most part, respected,” Mulama said.“Overall, the regulatory requirement of 24 hours’ campaign silence which started at 6am on Sunday August 8, 2010 was respected by the media.” Addressing the participants, the Executive Secretary of NEC, Charles Munyaneza, said that there were 1,444 observers of which 1,205 were domestic and 239 international. “The working relationship between NEC and the election observers was characterized by openness and dialogue as well as mutual collaboration and facilitation,” Munyaneza said. “The Commonwealth report cites improvements to the Presidential Election Law, specifically identifying the application of lessons learned from previous elections and improved tabulation procedures,” a statement released from the National Democratic Institute on the International Observation of the Rwanda Presidential Elections, revealed. Ends