Independent Electoral Commission on Multi-Stakeholder Conference

9 October 2007

The Multi-Stakeholder Conference hosted by the Electoral Commission (IEC)
started yesterday in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

A programme for today's sessions follows at the end of this communiqué.
Members of the commission and presenters will be available at The Forum for
in-depth interviews.

Several topics were covered in yesterday's sessions and lively discussions
followed most sessions when delegates had an opportunity to voice their views
and opinions.

For your information a high-level summary has been attached. This by no
means covers everything said, but just gives the key points raised by speakers
and respondents. For in-depth interviews with members of the Commission, please
contact Lydia Young.

For other papers and presentations, please visit the website at http://www.elections.org.za/multistakeholderconference.

The programme for today is as follows:

Tuesday, 9 October 2007

9h00 to 9h15: Summary of previous day
Chairperson: Sa Ngidi, IEC Manager Electoral Matters: Gauteng
Speaker: Chumani Xotyeni, IEC Manager Registration and Voter's Roll: National
Office

Session four

9h15 to 10h00: The Nexus of democracy and development in South Africa
Speaker: Ebrahim Fakir, Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Studies
Respondent: Mohao Pheko

10h00 to 10h45: Discussions

10h45 to 11h00: Coffee or tea break

Session Five

11h00 to 11h40: New approaches in creating an enabling environment for
participating in electoral democracy – how to create platforms for
participation by individuals
Chairperson: Justice Bekebeke, IEC Provincial Electoral Officer: Northern
Cape
Speaker: Yaasmin Sooka, Executive Director, Foundation for Human Rights
Respondent: Martinho Chachiua, Manager: Electoral Political Process, EISA

11h40 to 13h00: Discussions

13h00 to 14h00: Lunch

Session six

14h00 to 15h00: Funding of political parties – Principles, experiences from
other countries and alternatives for South Africa
Chairperson: Bongani Finca, IEC Provincial Electoral Officer: Eastern
Cape
Speaker: Judith February, Programme Manager: Political Information and
Monitoring Service, IDASA

IEC Case Study: South African Experience of Party Funding
Speaker: Geraldine Chaplog-louw, IEC Manager Financial Management: National
Office
Respondent: Hassen Lorgat, Acting Director, Sangoco

15h00 to 16h00: Discussions

16h00 to 16h15: Coffee or tea break

Session seven

16h15 to 17h00: Elections and the media
Chairperson: Sy Mamabolo, IEC Provincial Electoral Officer: Gauteng
Speaker: Tawana Kupe, Dean: Faculty of Humanities, University of the
Witwatersrand
Respondent: JJ Tabane, CEO, Tshirundhu Communications

17h00 to 17h45: Discussions

18h00 to 22h00: Dinner and entertainment at The Forum Conference Centre

For media enquiries and to set up interviews, please contact:
Lydia Young
Cell: 082 650 8652

Issued by: Independent Electoral Commission
9 October 2007
Source: Independent Electoral Commission (http://www.elections.org.za)