Continuous Voter Registration to Begin By September - INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the Continuous 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 department is 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 get registered."
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 place immediately 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 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); Continue engaging 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.