AfricaPress-Tanzania: RECENTLY in Dar es Salaam, the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) met journalists and reiterated its commitment to supervise the October 28 th General Election as per the country’ s constitution, laws and regulations, and create level playing ground for all participating political parties.
Making the revelation, acting NEC Director of Election, G erald Mwanilwa, ahead of the voting day, while running the media in the work shop ‘ Mock Election’ to eq uip them with understanding on the processes of the elections, meant to educate them on how to efficiently report news ab out the forthcoming elections was categorical that the elections will b e fair and transparent,
b ecause it does not b elong to any party and hence, treats all equally.
With that back ground of doing things transparently, besides being the legally instituted election commission of Tanz ania and according to Article 7 4(6 ) of the constitution states tasked to register voters for the union presidential and parliamentary elections, supervise the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections, review and demarcate the electoral b oundaries and perform any other function as per the law such as organize referendums, all citizens should have a lot of trust and support it in its endeavors.
On that angle with nothing to hide, NEC has directed political parties to sub mit list of their agents who would represent them in the Octob er 28 th, 2020 G eneral Elections, b ecause this is also its role and no one should usurp such powers.
Revisiting that NEC Chairman, Rtd J udge Semistocles Kaij age said the names of the agents should be submitted to the Retuning Officers for further appointment and swearing in exercise, because such arrangements in advance k eep off unnecessary lamentations and brings on board all political parties as players.
However, he warned all pub lic to adhere with the election laws, which ab stain them from announcing unauthorized any election results, insisting that the task should be left to the relevant authorities, adding: “ Anyone who shall announce any results will face the law accordingly.”
NEC maintains that it is the only b ody vested with powers to announce winners after counting and tallying of votes.
This k ind of training in a nutshell pinpoints to the fact that fore-armed is forewarned, which in simple terms warns the media houses and whoever will think of announcing unauthorized result(s) that he/ she is committing a criminal offence.
It is only NEC with mandated agents and its endorsed 1 7 foreign institutions allowed to ob serve the G eneral Elections.
