Territorial elections: the Civil Society Coalition for the acceleration of preparations

Facing the press, Wednesday August 3, the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Elections (Cosce) called on the public authorities to accelerate preparations for the territorial elections.

The territorial councilors elected on January 23, 2022 serve a five-year mandate which expires on January 22, 2027. Their renewal must therefore take place within thirty days preceding this deadline. However, according to the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Elections (Cosce), with less than five months remaining before the end of these mandates, several essential operations remain to be initiated, clarified or made public. “It’s not just about setting the election date. An election is being prepared,” explained electoral expert Ndiaga Sylla, designated spokesperson for the day.

According to him, the organization of an election requires in particular the revision and updating of electoral lists, the convening of the electorate, the setting of the deposit, as well as the submission and control of candidacies. Added to this is the material preparation and the implementation of the logistical system.

Civil society, however, wants to be clear. She believes that the deadlines still allow these electoral contests to be organized. “We are not claiming that there is, at this stage, any irregularity in the electoral process. We are simply saying that it is becoming urgent to give visibility to all stakeholders. This requirement is not only political, it is also democratic and legal,” said Ndiaga Sylla.

He adds that Cosce’s approach is simple: “prevent rather than challenge, secure rather than weaken”. Because, according to him, “the electoral time is getting tighter and any excessive delay in one stage can have consequences on the following ones and, ultimately, affect the legal security, transparency and credibility of the election”.

In this context, the members of Cosce call on the public authorities to quickly initiate consultation with political parties, civil society and all stakeholders. The objective is to share available information, clarify the different stages of the process and create the conditions for inclusive preparation for the next territorial elections.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Elections also calls on public authorities to set and make public, as soon as possible, the date of the territorial elections, as well as to publish a detailed electoral calendar allowing all stakeholders to know the main stages leading to the vote. “All political actors must have the same information and the same visibility on the electoral calendar. It’s a question of trust, but also of equality between the different actors in the electoral competition,” insists Ndiaga Sylla.

Aliou DIOUF