DVC on U.S. Presidential Primaries
The US Embassy in Abidjan organized April 29, 2008 a lively Digital Video Cconference on the US Presidential Primaries. The topic was of great interest to the Ivorian audience as long-delayed presidential elections have recently been set for November 30, 2008. Paris-based Professor Arun Kapil, an expert on the US electoral system, spoke on various aspects of the primary system and the current electoral campaign in the U.S. during this program. The audience included members of parliament, representatives of political parties, and leaders of youth associations and NGOs. They agreed that the American electoral system, although one of the oldest in the world, continues to be a model for other countries. Noting the violence in Côte d'Ivoire associated with the last election, members of the audience pledged to adopt a positive attitude during the upcoming electoral campaign and accept the final results. They looked forward to additional DVCs on the elections and indicated they planned to discuss what they had learned about democracy with others.