Burkina Faso: The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) builds the capacity of MATDS managers

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) initiated, from June 14 to 17, 2022 in Loumbila, a BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections) training workshop for executives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security in charge of electoral issues. The objective was to build their capacity in electoral matters, to enable them to better fulfill their role as actors in the electoral process and to make an important contribution to the success of elections in Burkina Faso.

Executives from the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security in charge of electoral issues have benefited from a training session called BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections). of a training course called BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections). The opening ceremony took place on June 14 in Loumbila. During the ceremony, the governor of the Central Plateau region, Assétou Sy Barry/Traoré, welcomed the initiative which, in her opinion, will strengthen the capacities of actors in the electoral administration chain.

According to her, this will lead to a revision of the texts that govern the organization of elections in Burkina Faso. The ultimate goal is to achieve credible, transparent and peaceful elections at the end of the transition period in the country of the Honored People. According to the Country Director of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), Nicolas Matatu, the BRIDGE program in its current version is composed of 16 modules. Three of them were provided to participants.

These were (i) Introduction to Electoral Administration, (ii) Legal Framework and Reforms, and (iii) Electoral Systems. The objectives of BRIDGE, he added, are to promote the principles of democracy and good electoral practices to internationally accepted standards, and to build the skills and confidence of stakeholders in the electoral process. "The Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security has a very important role to play in this transition. This ministry will be responsible for revising the texts, including the electoral code.

Following discussions with the ministry's executives, it became clear that there was a need for capacity building. This BRIGE training is an internationally recognized curriculum that was developed by five organizations: the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), and the World Bank.It was developed by five organizations: the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD)," he said.

Note that the training was part of the IFES Burkina project "Promoting peaceful, democratic, transparent and inclusive elections in Burkina Faso" funded by the Agency for International Development (USAID).

Source: lefaso.net/