/ 22 June 2011

IEC to receive UN award

The IEC is one of 36 public organisations worldwide to receive the UN Public Service Award for its innovative use of a results slip scanning.

The Independent Electoral Commission will receive the United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA) for Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service, the IEC said on Wednesday.

IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam and Chief Electoral Officer Advocate Pansy Tlakula would receive the award in the Tanzanian city of Dar Es Salaam on Thursday.

South Africa is a first place winner in the competition for its innovative use of results slip scanning.

A total of 36 public organisations worldwide will receive this award on United Nations Public Service Day.

“Transparency is especially important to the IEC in ensuring that votes captured in the electronic results system can be easily verified against the votes as reflected in the results slip signed by the presiding officers and political party representatives in each voting station,” said Bam.

In November 2010, the IEC received an award from the Centre for Public Sector Innovation for its “innovative use of information communication technology for effective service delivery” for this process, and in May 2011 was the first runner up at the All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards in Kenya in the category “Innovative Service Delivery Improvements”. — Sapa