With the government of Guinea voicing its commitment to hold National Assembly elections in late 2008, USAID recently helped launch a train-the-trainer program aimed at instructing some 15,000 election workers on voter registration, election law and procedure. The August 7-8 inauguration of the Administrative Commission to Review Electoral Lists, known by its French acronym CARLE, drew members of the diplomatic corps, the United Nations, the Government of Guinea and civil society, all of whom reiterated their commitment to assist the Guinean people in their quest for democratic reform.

Many in Guinea see the upcoming National Assembly Elections as the nation’s best chance in nearly a half-century to launch a new era where good governance and accountability provide the foundation for economic reform and the chance for a better life. During the civil unrest of 2006 and 2007, the people of Guinea made clear to the government and the world that the time had come for change. With the launching of CARLE, energy for change is channeled into elections through education and a commitment to see the process through. For the 100 plus trainers gathered at the inauguration, CARLE is the expression of this change.

With support coming from USAID, the European Union, the United Nations, the government of Guinea and the country’s independent electoral commission (CENI), the CARLE initiative is truly an international collaboration for democratic change.

The original trainers will form the initial corps of election workers. They will travel to every part of the country, each instructing dozens of other election workers on the technical aspects of holding free and fair elections. A critical element is the creation of lists of eligible voters. For this, the trainers will learn voter registration procedures to ensure that each voter is properly listed with election authorities. Trainers will also receive instruction on the most significant elements of the new electoral code, which details accepted procedures for registration, voting and ballot counting. Training will also familiarize election workers on how to troubleshoot a range of problems that might arise as elections approach.

Perhaps the most significant task facing the trainers will be in answering the questions of the voting public, and rebuilding voter confidence in a system that has been discredited by past abuses. The people of Guinea and the international community see the coming elections as a turning point and an opportunity to set a precedent that will carry through to presidential elections in 2010.

Support for CARLE is part of an approximately $4 million US election assistance package aimed at voter education, election observation, increasing the participation of women and youth, and building the capacity of the CENI. In addition, the US is also assisting the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Political Affairs, the Guinean government agency charged with administering the elections.