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AEOBiH CONDUCTS PREPARATIONS FOR GENERAL
ELECTIONS 2002
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As part of the program of technical and professional assistance
to municipal election commissions (MECs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the Association of Election Officials in BiH (AEOBiH) has organized
several projects whose main purpose has been to prepare MECs for
successful conduct of General Elections, which will be held on October
5, 2002.
The voter registration and re-registration project was implemented
between March and June 2002 in eighty-eight (88) municipalities
in both BH entities. AEOBiH assisted the participating MECs with
funds in the amount of 131.951,90 KM, which was used to update the
voter registers and motivate voters through media and public announcements
to visit the voter registration centers. According to the reports
of MECs which participated in this AEOBiH project, 43.531 persons
re-registered for upcoming elections, 25.983 new voters were registered
for the first time, and there were 9.575 other changes in the voter
register, such as deletion of deceased persons' names and correction
of voters' personal information.
For the purposes of polling station committee training AEOBiH
hired thirty-four (34) trainers, whose task is to educate MEC members
and assist them with the process of PSC training. AEOBiH created
and printed 35.000 copies of the PSC training manual at a printer
in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the price of 27.300,00 KM. AEOBiH also
allocated 82.000,00 KM for trainers' salaries, whereas a total of
119.100,00 KM was provided to all MECs in BiH to help them conduct
successful PSC training in their respective municipalities. PSC
members will be working in the polling stations on election day
and will thus be involved in the election process in the most direct
way. AEOBiH therefore considers the PSC training, which is currently
underway in all municipalities in BiH, to be one of its most important
pre-election activities.
Voter education and information project will be taking place
during September 2002. AEOBiH will provide 100.000,00 KM for implementation
of this project and will allocate these funds to those MECs who
submitted their action plans for intensive voter education and information
campaigns in their municipalities. One hundred (100) municipalities
from the entire country have applied to participate in this project.
This year AEOBiH will place special accent on education of young
voters and returnees about the importance of elections and the voting
procedures.
Since the beginning of 2002, AEOBiH has also organized five cycles
of roundtable meetings throughout BiH, whose purpose was to
exchange and distribute information of vital importance in the work
of municipal election commissions. So far 62.500 KM has been spent
on roundtable meetings with MEC members.
Through the above-listed projects, which are also outlined in the
Memorandum of Cooperation that AEOBiH signed with the BiH Election
Commission, the Association is contributing to the timely preparation
of October elections. Implementation of all AEOBiH activities has
been made possible thanks to the support of the International Foundation
for Election Systems (IFES) through funding provided by the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Association
of Election Officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Terezija 16, 71000 Sarajevo
Tel: 033/ 250 806, Fax: 033/ 250 801
Email: aleksandrab@aeobih.com.ba
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