The Chair Person of the electoral body of Cape Verde, Dr. Maria do Rosario Lopes Pereira Goncalves is the new President of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC).
The 6th Biennial General Assembly of RCONEC, which ended on Wednesday in Abuja, adopted the Activity Report and Financial Report of the past two years (2017-2019) prepared by the Secretariat under the supervision of the Steering Committee led by President Mahmood Yakubu, Chair of INEC Nigeria.
According to the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Assembly commended the outgoing Steering Committee and the Staff of the Secretariat and stressed the need for consolidation of the gains achieved under the leadership of the outgoing Steering Committee and sustainability.
“In accordance with provisions of the ECONEC Statute, the General Assembly adopted a unanimous Resolution conferring the title of Honorary President of ECONEC on Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in recognition of his exemplary leadership and contributions to the promotion of democracy and good governance in the ECOWAS region,” the Assembly said.
It added that in line with the principle of the Network’s linguistic balance (Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone) as enshrined in its statutes elected the following members to the new 5-member Steering Committee for the next two years (2019-2021):
1st Vice President – Mr. Newton Ahmed Barry, Chair CENI, Burkina Faso and 2nd Vice President is Mr. Momarr Alieu Njai, Chair of IEC The Gambia.
The Treasurer is Mr. Amadou Ba – Chair CENI, Mali; and Deputy Treasurer is Madam Jean Mensa, Chair EC Ghana.
According to the resolutions, the Steering Committee will be assisted by the Permanent Secretary of the Network and the Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division (EAD), Mr Sourou Francis Gabriel Oke.
“The next regular Biennial General Assembly is scheduled to take place in Praia, capital of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) in 2021,” it added.
GIK/APA