Africa-Press – Tanzania. Dar es Salaam.
Four opposition parties have turned down the invite by the registrar of Political parties to attend the handing over ceremony of the 2020 general election report at the State House, Dar es Salaam today August 21.
The parties have reiterated their stand that the 2020 general elections were null and void. They parties include Chadema, ACT Wazalendo, CUF and NCCR.
According to statements issued separately by the parties’ Director of Protocol, Communications and External Affairs for Chadema, John Mrema, for ACT, Salim Bimani, CUF, Mohamed Ngulangwa and NCCR they all have received invitation from the Director of the National Electoral Commission but will not attend the event.
All parties maintain their stand that after the 2020 general elections they reported their grievances to NEC and no action was taken.
Chadema’s, Mrema admitted to have received the invite from the NEC Director that requested the presence of the National Chairman, General Secretary, Presidential Candidate and Vice Presidential Candidate to attend the handing over of Presidential Election Report for the 2020 General Elections
“The party through the Secretary General’s letter has informed the Director of Elections that we will not participate in the ceremony scheduled in State House today,” Mrema said in a statement outlining the party’s five reasons not to participate.
Chadema, whose presidential candidate Tundu Lissu came second, said there was no election and could not take part in any event that justifies the election but also said it was now focusing its efforts on ensuring that their chairman and members held by state organs are released.
He said in the statement that their former candidate was forced to flee the country due to threats to his life.
“We will instead focus on defending freedom, justice, democracy and human development,” the two-page statement reads.
On his part, ACT, Bimani said experience showed that report from Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) for the 2020 general election and NEC aimed to justify the elections by writing false statements and in view of that they would not participate in the event because nothing new will be reported,
In another development, CUF and NCCR also stated their intention not to participate in the event basically because when they reported the 2020 general elections, NEC took no action.
