Title: The visit of Sylvie Birembano Balume to the CENI archives service: an approach to guarantee optimal archiving of candidate files
Introduction :
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is currently in the process of receiving and processing applications for the provincial legislative elections. In order to guarantee efficient archiving of these files, Sylvie Birembano Balume, Deputy Quaestor of the CENI, recently visited the institution’s archives service. Accompanied by the directors of documentation and archives, Nicaise Ibula and of logistics, Hiller Kambale, she made sure that all the prerequisites were met for optimal preservation of the files.
The objectives of the visit:
The main objective of Sylvie Birembano Balume’s visit was to ensure that all the prerequisites were in place to guarantee adequate archiving of the application files. She also wanted to make sure of the available storage space and the proper organization of the premises.
The file processing process:
During this visit, the director of the archives explained to Sylvie Birembano Balume the different stages of the process of processing the files before their archiving. The files arrive in packed bags and go through three stages of control called “check-list”. The first check consists of ensuring that all files are properly archived in the envelopes provided. The second check aims to avoid mistakes made in the first step. Finally, the last check consists of placing the files in the archive boxes, taking care to arrange the premises and the shelves in an optimal way for better organization.
Archiving in accordance with standards:
The Deputy Quaestor of the CENI wanted to reassure the stakeholders that the work is carried out in accordance with archival standards, in order to ensure proper preservation of the application files and adequate traceability. By receiving approximately 25,000 candidacies for the national legislative elections and estimating that it has received 40,000 candidacies for the provincial legislative elections, the CENI has to deal with a large quantity of files to archive.
Conclusion :
Sylvie Birembano Balume’s visit to the CENI archives service aimed to ensure that all the prerequisites were met for optimal archiving of candidate files. Organizing the case handling process and providing adequate storage space are key elements in ensuring effective record keeping. By respecting archival standards, the CENI thus ensures better traceability of candidacies and transparency of the electoral process