The project in support of the credibility and transparency of elections in the Union of Comoros- PACTE-II (www.pacte-comores.eu), funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), organised from 5th to 11th October 2015a training in Leadership and Conflict Management for electoral stakeholders (LEAD). In total, 32 participants from national institutions (such as the Constitutional Court, the Ministry of Interior and the Media Regulatory Authority and Security Forces), Electoral Management Bodyand Civil Society representatives attended the training.
The main objective of the LEAD training was to present the key issues related to leadership and provide participants with tools for managing election-related conflicts. The LEAD training programme is based on activities that focused on how to develop practical solutions to address challenges that electoral stakeholders might face. Thanks to practical techniques and works groups, training participants enhanced their toolkit in conflict management and leadership skills.
Moreover, it has proven to be the case in some countries, LEAD training programmes are the only occasion where stakeholders, oftentimes the main protagonists, come all together ahead of elections. In this context, the training became also a forum for dialogue and experience sharing among electoral stakeholders. In order to ensure the pursuit of the LEAD certification process and reach out the highest number of electoral stakeholders, this first LEAD training will be followed (from October the 13th to 23th of October 2015) by a three-day training session (LEAD cascade) one in each of the three Comoros islands. During the three LEAD cascade training about 90 participants will be trained.