Introduction to Electoral Administration Modular Workshop

The Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho with funding support from the German Cooperation Africa Election Fund, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised a BRIDGE module on Introduction to Electoral Administration Modular workshop from 4-6 December 2023 in Maseru, Lesotho. This workshop was the intervention identified through a Needs Assessment Mission conducted towards the next electoral cycle support.. The workshop aimed to capacitate key stakeholders in electoral administration knowledge and skills as they prepare towards the next electoral cyle 2024-2028.

A total of twenty-three participants attended the workshop, comprising of 16 women and seven (7) men from IEC staff from the head office and districts as well as Tribunal officials. A workshop-level facilitator Lydia Macheli, accrediting-level facilitators, Rindai Chipfunde Vava and Tomsie Dlamini facilitated the BRIDGE workshop.

Officially opening the workshop, UNDP Governance Specialist, Thabo Mosoeunyane applauded the IEC for their continued commitment in entrenching democracy in Lesotho and for the completion of the electoral cycle ending in 2023. He implored participants to embrace the workshop with enthusiasm and active participation and apply the knowledge towards the preparation of the next 2024-2028 electoral cycle. In the same vein, IEC Commissioner Dr Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana expressed gratitude for the bountiful support of the German Government in the inception phases of the Africa Election Fund Project in Lesotho as one of the pilot countries. She stressed the importance of active participation in the promotion of democracy as Lesotho transitions into the new electoral cycle. Dr Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana participated in all the sessions of the workshop until the end. The sessions were lively with active participation covering a wide range of topics as free and fair elections, international standards, types of EMBs, Sustainability of EMBs etc

The IEC Commissioner Dr Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana and UNDP official Shalva Tskhakaya gave the closing remarks and thanked the funding partners, participants and facilitators for the successful holding of the workshop.

The end-of-course evaluation revealed the overall satisfaction of the participants on the BRIDGE methodology, content administered as well as the practical application of concepts and principles of electoral management. The exposure given to participants broadened their appreciation of elections from a global context, the comparative theory and models of the legal framework, electoral systems, and electoral management bodies. More so, oral evaluations revealed that there was satisfaction with the delivery and adult training methods of the BRIDGE course.