The Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT organised the national conference "Local elections 2011: political aspects, legislation, practices" in Chisinau during April 15-16, 2011. The conference brought together graduates from the Leadership School for Young Political Leaders (a project implemented by ADEPT Association) and LSYPL students from the regions Centre, North, South and Administrative-Territorial Unit Gagauzia, 120 young people altogether.

ADEPT executive director Igor Botan opened the conference by summarising accomplishments of the LSYPL project aimed to train a new generation of young political leaders, and stressed the importance of young activists in holding the June 5, 2011 local elections.

The chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, Iurie Ciocan, who attended the conference, told young people the main amendments to the Electoral Code and reported normative and legislative aspects related to organisation of general local and parliamentary elections, voting at residence place, and right of young people to cast ballots.

The conference discussed issues relating to the June 5, 2011 general local elections: legislation on local public administration; regional development matters; features of the general local elections 2011; practical aspects of the campaign for local elections; local elections and AIE prospects; local elections as ground to test territorial branches of parties. Moldovan legal experts and politicians addressed the conference.

During the conference, the chairman of the Board of Graduates (CA), Alexandru Musteata, introduced the website www.tinerilideri.com, built by the community of LSYPL graduates and students. According to the CA chairman, the website comes to provide information about successes of LSYPL graduates, work of Youth Organisations of political parties and apolitical organisations.

The participants were confident at the end of the conference that such events consolidate young political leaders and have a great contribution to the political education of society.

The conference was organised with the financial support of the U.S. Department of State via the Eurasia Foundation and the East-European Foundation.