Ramallah- The Central Elections Commission (CEC) commenced today a two-phased training program for CEC exhibition and challenge staff in all West Bank districts as part of its preparations for holding the upcoming local elections on the 17th of July 2010.
The first phase of the training covered a hundred exhibition and challenge supervisors who were divided into two training sessions. The first was held in Bethlehem and included supervisors from Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jericho, while the second was held in Nablus and included supervisors from Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya and Salfit. The training sessions focused on procedures for conducting the exhibition and challenge process including guidelines on who has the right to submit challenges and requests for amendments to the voters’ list.
The second phase of the training, which will be conducted on the 21st and 22nd of April 2010, will be delivered by the CEC exhibition and challenge supervisors and cover around 1400 exhibition and challenge staff in all West Bank districts. The training will focus on procedures for processing applications for data correction submitted by citizens.
This training program is part of the CEC’s preparations for the upcoming exhibition and challenge period which will take place over five days starting on Sunday the 25th of April 2010. During this period the CEC will open 628 exhibition and challenge centers in the 303 West Bank localities where local elections are to be held.
The exhibition and challenge period is an important step of the electoral process as it allows citizens to review and correct their personal information on the voters’ list and helps in establishing a comprehensive and accurate voters’ registry which form the basis for fair and transparent elections.