MANILA, Philippines - The new general instructions (GI) on the Election Automation Law – considered the bible for all candidates, poll watchers, lawyers and other practitioners in the campaign and election exercises – has recently been released by Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The Center for Global Best Practices invites all candidates and stakeholders who need to protect their ballots in this election exercise to a pioneering one-day seminar entitled “New General Instructions on Automated Election:  2013 IRR on voting, counting, canvassing, transmission, protest mechanisms and Continuity Plans for Board of Election Inspectors, Board of Canvassers and poll watchers,” scheduled on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City. For details and a complete list of seminars, you may log on to www.cgbp.org or call (02) 842-7148/59 and 556-8968/69; Cebu lines (032) 512-3106 or 07 or Baguio line (074) 423-5148.

In any question of law and procedure, the official reference for this election exercises will be the GI. This special one-day seminar is the only and most comprehensive program that will lay down its entire blueprint and will provide the complete guide on its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the poll automation law.

Listen and learn from the authorities who crafted and are implementing the GI and IRR regarding its interpretation especially on voting, counting, canvassing, transmission, protest mechanisms, continuity plans and other very important issues that everyone must know. This seminar will feature lawyer Ferdinand T. Rafanan, director IV, head of the law department and concurrently the planning department of Comelec. He will be joined in the panel by lawyer Rene V. Sarmiento, commissioner of the Comelec from 2006 until Feb. 2, 2013. He played a central role in the crafting of the general instruction for automated election for 2013.

Ignorance of the law and its IRR can cost a lot of votes.  Attend and empower yourself and your poll watchers, lawyers and people on the ground in the May 2013 election. Interested participants are encouraged to avail of the early bird and group discounts.  This is a limited-seats-only event and pre-registration is required.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/03/24/923278/new-general-instruction-automated-elections