Voter register update to begin in January

KIGALI - The Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Commission, (NEC), Charles Munyaneza, has said that preparations for the upcoming local leaders’ elections are on track and that the commission will soon begin the final update and correction of the voters’ register. The elections are scheduled to take place in February and March 2011. “The final update of the voters’ register is slated to begin on January 3 and end on the 16th,” announced Munyaneza. Preparations for the grassroots elections started mid October with updating of the voters’ register in all villages, according to NEC officials. The first phase of updating voters’ registers ended on November 8, and was followed by entering the details into NEC’s database. The practice of updating voters’ register has been decentralized and that it is currently done at districts.Munyaneza added that NEC is currently recruiting and training electoral staff who will facilitate the voting process. “Submission of candidatures by those interested to vie for leadership posts in the District Councils is scheduled to start on January 10,” he announced. The Executive Secretary also said that NEC is not facing any financial constraints since all the funds they needed were provided from the national budget. NEC is expecting to spend about Rwf 4.2 billion on local leaders’ elections. Ends