South Sudanese celebrate independence in Juba.
IFES recently organized two BRIDGE training workshops in Juba to support domestic decision making and build capacity to manage electoral processes in the post-independence period.
The week-long workshops in late-August and early-September 2011 introduced issues of election administration to civil society members; former members of the National Electoral Commission and South Sudan Referendum Bureau; and other government officials who will likely be involved in administering elections in the future.
The two BRIDGE workshops trained approximately 50 stakeholders in electoral management principles; legal framework development; international electoral principles and standards; voter registration mechanisms; and electoral cycle planning and sustainability. Participants have applied this knowledge to subsequent events discussing the merits of proposed electoral and political party legislation.
The BRIDGE introduction module on election administration will be followed by a more comprehensive BRIDGE program to be implemented by IFES in 2012.