NEC appreciates the Synergy initiative of IPP and REFO

Mr Munyaneza Charles the Executive Secretary of NEC said that during a live show held at the Isango Star studio but broadcasted to other five radio stations across Rwanda, discussing on lessons to learn from  the ended parliamentary elections.

For him, the last elections were attended at 95% meaning over 5 million of Rwandans attended the elections among 5,900,000 and more who registered.

This is one of the big achievements NEC has done comparatively to all African electoral commissions, Mr Charles Munyaneza continues.

Mr Munyaneza appreciated the way Rwandans  attended  elections and encourages them to keep on cultivating the spirit of patriotism.

Concerning the challenges related to the voters’  sites located in remote  areas in comparison to the areas were they registered, the NEC representative said that this was done so reduce the number of voters who could misuse the voting papers and make the elections unfair.

Journalists asked him whether the beautifying decorations deployed into the voting sites did not cost the NEC budget too much.

Rwandans prepare the sites for an important  and valuable event  to both voters and candidates,so people used their locally produced items that do not cost too much.

Mr Munyaneza revealed that the 4,3 Billion RwF allocated to NEC  as an annual   budget 85% were invested into these elections , adding that the amount is not as big as the previous ones because the current budget was fully provided by Rwandan Government.

He assured Rwandans living with  visual impairment who are mature enough to vote that more efforts will be provided in the coming elections so to help them vote freely without a a guide nearby.

The NEC urges future candidates to get prepared for elections because ,according to Munyaneza Charles, none should blame the government for having not supported a candidate. It’s not based on the Constitution.

Thanking private candidates who sponsored themselves,he added that NEC appreciated the way Mr Mwenedata campaigned and how he behaved after the polls were published.

Reacting to sayings according which a person has been forced to attend polls, Munyaneza added that in the coming elections some security keeping forces such as the ones called Inkeragutabara or Local Defense forces should not force people to vote because voting is a choice of an educated  person who freely choose to do so.

Safe elections,willingness to vote and effective financial management of the elections are among the key lessons foreign observers have learnt from Rwandan elections, Mr Munyaneza Charles revealed to Isango star.

Concerning the fact that the word ‘Independent’ does not appear into the NEC acronym in comparison with other electoral commissions across Africa,The NEC Executive Secretary finds that NEC is independent despite that lack of that word in its acronym.

This synergy,meaning bringing six radio stations together as to help Rwandans have more access to elections news, brought together six radio stations that follow:Isango star,Isangano,Ishingiro,Izuba,Huguka and Radio Salus.

Since its beginning ,the synergy was prepared and monitored by the Institut Panos Paris and the Rwandan umbrella of Chief Editors known as REFO(Rwandan Editors Forum),and sponsored by European Union.

NIZEYIMANA Jean Pierre

UM– USEKE.RW