Author: NELLY MTEMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENTIAL nomination forms for candidates who have been endorsed by their political parties will be issued from August 5 to 20, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced here.
Tanzanians will this year cast their votes on Wednesday October 28th–the first time ever for the General Election to be held on a weekday since the country introduced multiparty elections in 1995.
NEC Chairman Retired Judge Semistocles Kaijage told reporters in Dodoma that the forms for picked candidates from fully registered political parties will be issued at their newly launched office in Njedengwa, Dodoma.
NEC granted full registration to 19 political parties Moreover, he said, they have renamed three constituencies in compliance with recommendations given by President John Magufuli, while commissioning the new eightstorey edifice on Wednesday.
He named the re-christened constituencies as Chilonwa, which now will be known as Chamwino, Mtera will be known as Mvumi and Kijitoupele in Zanzibar will now trade as Pangawe constituency.
The NEC Chairman also said that forms for those seeking parliamentary and councillorship posts will be available at the headquarters of the respective districts and wards.
“The parliamentary and councillorship aspirant forms will be issued from August 12- 25 in their respective headquarters,” he said.
He added that there will be 264 election constituencies in Mainland Tanzania and 50 in Z anzibar as was the case in the 2015 election.
NEC recently said the endorsement of presidential candidates will be on August 25th, 2020, while the campaigns will run for 62-days, from August 26 to October 27th, 2020.
Political parties are currently continuing with the nomination process of their candidates to become flag bearers for the parliamentary and councillorship elections.
The CCM National Congress on July 11, 2020 endorsed Dr John Magufuli as its candidate.
Dr Magufuli, who is seeking re-election for a second and final five-year term in office, garnered 100 per cent of the votes from 1,822 CCM’s national congress delegates at the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre in the capital, Dodoma.
President Magufuli has already announced that he will retain Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, the current vice-president, as his running mate.CCM has endorsed Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi as its presidential candidate for Z anzibar.
The main opposition party, Chadema, launched the nomination process for the presidential legislative and councillorship candidates early this month.
