NIEC Staff from both national and regional election offices attended the start of a 7 day induction training at Amisom VIP hall in Mogadishu.
A total of forty one officers were hired by the commission in the past five months. The training is aimed at familiarising the new staffs with their roles, functions and operational mechanism. Its also a part of implementing NIEC Strategic plan 2017-2021.
The training facilitators are election experts, NIEC senior advisors and directors from departments.
After a prayer recitation, the training workshop was officially opened by the acting NIEC chair Mr. Said Hashi Warsame.
Mr. Said welcomed all participants to the training. He acknowledged the importance of the training to the new staffs, stating it as a part of building their capacity and familiarize them with their new roles thus making them discharge their duties efficiently.
Dr. Hassan Haji, a senior advisor with the electoral body gave the participants a lecture on NIEC mission, vision, goals and the strategies in place to ensure elections are held within the stipulated time frame. He underscored the need to win the trust of the citizenry.
NIEC directors also spoke at the start of the training with each stating their department’s roles and accomplishments thus far.
NIEC Secretary general Mr. Abdirizak Bashir reiterated the importance of working towards ensuring the commission realizes its mandate of conducting a free and fair One person one vote as envisaged in the commission strategic plan 2017-2021.
Deputy IESG chief Ms. Mary and Mr. Rudolf Ebling from Creative, the two organizations credited with supporting the commission, underscored the importance of supporting the electoral body’s work through capacity injection and funding.
NIEC legal director Mr. Abdinasir Omar gave the participants a lecture on elections legal framework and the policies in place to ensure a legal ground is in place for the conduct of the forthcoming elections.
Election experts Annetta and Shalva gave the participants an update on electoral law, emphasizing on the need to have the law in place as the commission gears up to conduct the elections.