NEC Basket Fund steering committee met over financial report and draft electoral code

NEC Basket Fund steering committee members in a meeting

NEC Basket Fund steering committee met on September 1, 2009 at the Headquarters of NEC to discuss Narrative and financial report and major new inclusions in the draft electoral code among others.

The NEC Basket Fund members, namely DFID, SIDA, Netherlands, EC, UNDP and Belgium are development partners who have pledged and supported NEC electoral activities from 2008. A Memorandum of understanding for financial support to the National Electoral Commission was signed between NEC and development partners for a better fulfillment of cementing democracy and good governance in Rwanda through free and fair elections.

The steering committee met to be presented a narrative and financial report on the first and the second quarters of 2009. The report states each member’s commitment to contributing to the implementation of 2008-2011 NEC strategic plan and 2009 financial situation particularly. So far, NEC has received 42.4% of expected support budget for 2009 exercise, equivalent to RWF 898,991,150.

Mr. Charles Munyaneza, NEC Executive Secretary, brought to the attention of the steering committee that the global economic crisis that has recently affected world economies has somehow affected NEC activities as far as currency depreciation is concerned.

As for the draft electoral code, the issues of publishing results at polling station level, Civil Society Election Observation Missions and the issue of prisoners’ right to vote were also discussed. Mr. Charles Munyaneza made it clear that, taking into account the context of Rwanda, the recommendation about Rwandan prisoners voting and its practicability it is still a challenge, for most of the prisoners are genocide suspects.

Belgium representatives, still members of NEC Basket Fund, requested to temporarily suspend their participation in the meetings and preferred to be kept informed through minutes of the meetings.

The meeting generally ended with a continued commitment to supporting NEC activities as the country prepares for the 2010 presidential elections.