Continuous Voter Registration to Begin By September - INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that
theContinuous Voter Registration (CVR)exercise will be flagged off in
September this year.
The commission further expressed optimism that in spite of the
security challenges in some parts of the country, the Commission would
conduct elections in 2015 that would be better than 2011.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, disclosed this, yesterday, in
Abuja when the United States of America Acting Assistant Secretary of
State for African Affairs, Donald Yamamoto, visited the Commission.
The electoral commission also said that the Anambra governorship
election would be conducted on November 16, 2013.
On the merger application by some political parties, Professor Jega
explained that it was being treated as a routine matter and that the
relevant department was verifying information supplied to it by
parties intending to merge.
He further explained: "The departmentis doing its job. It has not yet
reached the Committee not to talk of the Commission," and assured that
"it is not a challenge. If you follow the procedure (in the Electoral
Act) you getregistered."
Jega said, "We are prepared for 2015 General Elections and feel quite
optimistic that it will be better than 2011". The INEC Chairman hinged
his optimism on a number of activities which the Commission had put in
placeimmediately in the aftermath of the 2011 General Elections,
including series of assessments of the 2011 General Elections;
articulation and presentation of a Strategic Plan and Action Plan
between 2012-2016 which would provide a road map for the 2015 General
Elections; flag off the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise
this quarter to facilitate registration of those who have turned 18
years and those who did not register in 2011;
Others are delimit constituencies before the 2015 General Elections;
re-organise and restructure the Commission with a view to making it a
lean, more efficient and effective Election Management Body (EMB);
Increase engagement with stakeholders, especially political parties;
Improve relationship with CivilSociety Organisations (CSOs);
Continueengaging the National Assembly and the Executive; and
engagement with security agencies.
Professor Jega observed that the success of elections was a product of
partnerships with other stakeholders and canvassed for support from
development partners in the area of training and capacity building.
This was just as he explained that the Commission's Electoral
Institute was being re-positioned to address the training needs of
INEC, State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and EMBs in the
West African Sub-region.