Author: PETI SIYAME
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE National Electoral Committee (NEC) has warned that any Returning Officer, who will cause any election result to be nullified by Court, will be required to refund the cost that will be incurred by the government to conduct another judge by-election.
Equally NEC will not hesitate to take disciplinary measures against any returning officer, who intentionally causes the election to be spoilt at any constituency or ward.
The warning was issued by the NEC Commissioner, Ambassador Omar Ramadhan Mapuri yesterday, at a meeting held here in the municipality, whose participants were election coordinators and returning officers from Songwe, Rukwa and Katavi Regions.
He reminded them that election returning officers, who will violate election laws and subsequently cause nullification of the results will be punished by NEC in accordance with Section 89A of Local Government Election Law cap 292.
“NEC by adhering to local government election laws, will never hesitate to punish the returning officer(s), who will violate the law and the officers will be required by the law in question to refund all cost caused by conducting by-election, after the court nullify the election results in accordance with local government election laws, section 89B cap 292 and The Public Officers (Recovery of Debts) Act, Cap.76,” he empathized.
On his part the NEC representative, Mr Amos Akim reminded the returning officers to make sure political parties’ agents are sworn in tomorrow. “October 28th is the voting day ….all polling stations must be open at 7:00 am and per NEC instructions.
About 39,188,347 voters have officially been registered, while the number of polling stations is 81,567 countrywide. NEC has also distributed large portion of election equipment to the respective precincts.
Returning Officer from Kwela Constituency, Mr Nyangi Msemakweli admitted to have been handed over the first potion of election equipment by NEC, describing them as in good state and sufficient.
