CEC announces drawing and essay contests for youth

Seventh to twelfth grade students are invited to take part in a drawing contest themed “You have the right to vote”, while the youth aged 18-23 years have the opportunity to compete in a “Your vote counts, decide your destiny” essay contest, launched by the Central Election Commission (CEC). The contests are part of an awareness-raising campaign destined for the youth and aimed at informing them about their right to vote and about the electoral process, as well as at encouraging them to participate in polls. According to the regulations for the drawing contest, the submitted works have to represent a scene of the electoral process or an abstract composition meant to describe and promote the right to vote and be voted for. The entries should be submitted on A4 paper or on canvass of similar proportions. On the back of it, the applicants have to make a brief description of the drawing in four sentences at most. The essay contest will focus on such topics as the importance of youth participation in elections; low turnout at polls; causes, consequences, solutions; the right to vote – an expression of democracy – a controlling mechanism over the government. The essays should be typed on maximum three A4 printed pages, using 12-point Times New Roman font and 1.5-point spacing. The deadline for submissions for both contests is 15 June 2008, and the winners will be announced on 15 September 2008. The authors of the best essays and drawings will be awarded with diplomas. The winning works will displayed at a special exhibition and will be published in CEC’s gazette.