Pierre Claver Kazihise, Chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission-CENI has said judicial officials are key partners in punishing electoral infringements.
“Judicial officials must know the content of the electoral code to impose sanctions related to the election- based conflicts,” said Kazihise.
Judicial officials in a workshop organized by CENI
It was during a workshop on electoral litigation and electoral infringements organized by the national electoral commission towards judicial officials and other stakeholders in the electoral process, this November 28.
Pierre Claver Kazihise has said there are several offenses that may be committed in the electoral process.
He has said voters may commit violations such as voting without the right to do so; voting more than once during a single election and going to the polls with a hidden arm.
“This category of voters is punished with imprisonment ranging between 15 days and 3 months with a fine ranging between BIF 200,000 and one million,” said Mr. Kazihise.
He has added that there are also sanctions established for candidates in elections. “They will not be allowed to conduct propaganda in front of polling stations or wear party badges”, he said adding that they those who will be caught will be punished with an imprisonment ranging between one year and 5 years with a fine varying between BIF 800 thousand to 4 million.
The CENI chairman also said sanctions are applied for its agents who modify the minutes, reveal the election secret and register voters with fake identification.
“The penalties will double for state officials and agents of the provincial and communal electoral commissions,” he said.
Participants in the meeting were judicial officials from local high courts and courts of appeal throughout the country. “They will, in turn, train others on the content of the electoral code” , concluded the CENI Chairman.
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