Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced the completion of all preparations heading to the Isles’ General Elections on October 29 this year.
It insists that the successful completion of the preparations is significant progress in ensuring a smooth and credible poll.
Speaking to Daily News yesterday, ZEC Director, Thabit Idarous Faina, said the commission has received all 717,557 ballot papers, signifying the final stage of election preparations and confirming the commission’s full readiness for the exercise.
“The arrival of the ballot papers means we have reached the final stage of our preparations. We are proud that everything has been completed on time,” said Faina.
He explained that for the first time in Zanzibar’s history, the printing of ballot papers was carried out locally by the Zanzibar Government Printing Agency (ZGP) after a competitive tendering process that involved four companies from South Africa, China, and Zanzibar.
According to Faina, the milestone is a source of national pride. It demonstrates Zanzibar’s growing capacity to produce secure and high-quality electoral materials, comparable to those of a few other African nations.
“This is a moment of pride for Zanzibar. We have proven our local ability to produce secure and high-standard election materials,” he said.
The ZEC Director noted that the printing process cost 908.3m/-, significantly below the initial budget estimate of 1.24bn/-, thus saving the government over 300m/- without compromising quality.
Faina added that ZGP completed the printing ahead of schedule, a move he described as a sign of professionalism and commitment to national service.
“The agency demonstrated efficiency and dedication, completing the task earlier than expected,” he said.
He further said that all other election materials have already been distributed to district offices, while the ballot papers will be dispatched to polling centres in line with the official election timetable.
Representatives of political parties who participated in the preparatory stages commended ZEC for maintaining transparency and stakeholder engagement throughout the process, saying such efforts have boosted public confidence in the electoral process.
Faina also revealed that ZEC continues to collaborate closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Tanzania Mainland to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.
“We are working hand in hand with INEC to ensure that the election process is transparent, peaceful and credible,” said Faina.
ZEC oversees elections for the President of Zanzibar, Members of the House of Representatives, and Councilors, while INEC is responsible for the Union Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
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