The European Union (EU) andGermany's Deutsche Welle Akademie support the Libyan Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE) in the development of communication guidelines
Libya’s Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections is facing busy times: Local councils were elected for a four-year term, mainly in 2013 and 2014, which means that in many municipalities, elections are planned in 2018. This local election cycle has just started with the first election held in Zawiyah on 12th of May, and further elections will take place after Ramadan.
In the framework of the EU-funded project, “Media in Libya – Stability through Reconciliation”, implemented by Deutsche Welle Akademie and Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), Deutsche Welle Akademie is supporting CCMCE in developing communication guidelines to increase awareness of the local elections and the important role media has to play in this process.
A first training of the CCMCE members takes place in Tunis from 28.-30. May 2018. “This is the beginning of a long term collaboration. The purpose is to enhance public outreach and to build capacity in the field of media. We intend to reach this objective by improving our skills to dialogue with the media and to raise public awareness”, said CCMCE Chairman Salem Bentahia.
The Head of Delegation, Ambassador Muscheidt, joined the training session to welcome the participants and stressed:
"All those who are taking part in this training are really at the forefront of communicating on elections and with it on the choices Libyan citizens are making about their future. At the core of these training efforts are professional, faithful communications in the context of elections - it all is about building trust in the democratic process. The EU will continue to support collective efforts in taking forward the electoral process in Libya.”
CCMCE training is supplemented by workshops for journalists: The focus is on increasing knowledge about the elections, working on journalistic and public relations ethics, and teaching journalistic skills such as preparing for a press conference, giving interviews, establishing a media action plan or sensitizing the public to participate at the municipal elections.
(Source: EU)
