The CEC signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Union of Persons with Disabilities at CEC’s Headquarters in Al-Bireh.
The MOU which was initiated by the CEC aims at laying the foundation of a strategic relationship between the CEC and the Union. It will facilitate CEC’s mission in targeting members of the Union in any upcoming electoral process and will serve the goals of the Union in facilitating a wider participation of Persons with Disabilities in elections.
The MOU which was signed by CEO Hisham Kuhail and the Head of the Union Mr. Rafiq Abu Saifain comes as part of a mutual vision for both parties in protecting the rights of the Disabled in full and free participation in elections whether as voters, candidates or electors.
According to the MOU, the CEC will commit to rehabilitate registration and polling centres to ease the movement of persons with disabilities, ensure the electoral procedures are modified to respond to the disabled needs, and ensure electoral awareness information are easily disseminated and accessed by the disabled. The CEC will shortly conduct a special training for technical staff on ways to respond to the needs of the disabled inside registration and polling centres.
The Union, on the other hand, will cooperate with the CEC by encouraging its members in participating in the electoral processes, attending training workshops for this purpose and providing the CEC with all information related to the age group of members to be used in the planning for elections, rehabilitation of registration centres and electoral awareness activities.
It should be indicated that the CEC is currently conducting an assessment study of the needs of registration and polling centres in preparation of their rehabilitation as part of UNDP funded project.