Report: E-lection Bridge Conference 2022 (Côte d'Ivoire)

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11th election bridge

Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire – The 11th E-lection Bridge conference, held at the Noom Hotel from November 6th to 9th, 2022, brought together experts from around the world to discuss the various aspects of the electoral process in Africa. The conference, which was organized by the Regional Programme for Political Dialogue Sub-Saharan Africa (PolDiSSA) and hosted in conjunction with the Democratic Union of Africa Annual (DUA) General meeting, featured a variety of panels and presentations on topics such as coalition building, digital strategies, election strategies and planning, and more.

The conference began with a welcome dinner on November 6th, where participants had the opportunity to network. The following day, registration and a welcome session were held, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Holger Dix (Director of PolDiSSA) and Dr. Stefanie Brinkel, KAS Resident Representative and director of the Regional Programme Political Dialogue West Africa (PDWA), as well as Hon. Narend Singh representing DUA.

One of the highlights of the conference was the panel on "the Art of Coalition Building" which featured representatives from countries such as Germany, South Africa, Malawi, and Morocco discussing their respective experiences with being part of a coalition in government and the pros and cons of each. Dr. Klaus Schuler spoke on the art of coalition building and shared his experience of over 30 years working at various positions in the CDU and the German political space.

After which, well-received presentations by two experts, namely Mark Kaigwa (Nendo founder) and Dr. Ali-Diabacte (Former Deputy Director, UN Electoral Assistance Division), respectively spoke on Digital strategies and recent challenges to Democracy in Africa. The first day ended with a book launch of "Les partis façonnent la démocratie", written by Dr. Wilhelm Hofmeister, a book signing sessions and a post-book launch cocktail.

On the second day, the conference then delved into the main topics of discussion the review of the 2022 elections with Hon. Rafael Savimbi (Angola) and Hon. Salat (Kenya) sharing some best practices, observations and strategies used in their respective elections held earlier in the year. This was followed by two consecutive sessions on planning 2023 upcoming elections, the first panel had Amb. Youssoufou Bamba (Cote d’Ivoire), Hon. Jose Mazuana (Mozambique) and Hon. Apevon (Togo). The second panel moderated by Christian Kattner (Secretary General, IDU), was joined by Hon. Nana Asafo-Adjei (Ghana), Hon. Fofana (Liberia) and Senator Anyanwu (Nigeria).

The delegates took part in a workshop on experience sharing on the topics of voter mobilization and campaign financing to strengthen each other’s capacities. Christian Kattner ended the day with a speech on International Party Cooperation beyond election

Throughout the conference, participants had the opportunity to hear from experts in the field, as well as share their own experiences and strategies. The conference also provided a platform for participants to network and exchange ideas with one another, providing valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the electoral process in Africa. The event demonstrated the importance of international cooperation and exchange of ideas in this field.