AfricaPress-Tanzania: FINALLY the long awaited 28th October General Election Day has dawned today and Tanzanians, regardless of one’s religion, sex, political party and social status are walking to the Polling Stations to cast their votes as far as the constitution of the land allows.
This is a unique day in the history of the country, where every legally and eligible voter is expected to choose a leader, he/she thinks is capable of implementing community projects, creating employment to the youth and the list continues.
The day is unique because after all those campaigns, crisscrossing the country by politicians pledging what they will do to their electorates according to their political parties’ manifestoes, Tanzanians are judging them today and tasking only a few capable as their leaders to paddle the country across the waves of challenges in the sea for another five years.
This means that whoever will be tasked as a leader must realize that it is the people’s choice and should not be belittled, called names and rejected by any political party as incapable, because he/she was not their choice.
Equally, the National Electoral Commission has done its part and educated all the citizens on the way to elect their leaders.
For instance, what to carry should be a Voting Card, thereafter a voter should make sure that his/her name is in the Permanent Register’s Book and allowed to register in the specific station.
During the exercise, no one will be allowed to wear a cloth associating him/her with his/her party or carry placards displaying a notion that party X is the preference of the people.
Voting candidate X is a personal thing and no one should be coerced, intimidated or called names to vote or vote against.
In the same vein, no one will be allowed to carry any weapon to any Polling Station, heckle a Susan, because during the campaigns, she was known to be a stalwart and campaigning for party X.
After casting a vote, all the electorates will be required to individually walk home or go back to their daily chores without forming groups around in the name of safeguarding the votes.
Safe guarding the votes is solely tasked to NEC, its agents and police stationed in the voting places.
Last, but not least peace should prevail and whoever will be seen trying to take it for granted should be reported to the State organs tasked to maintain peace and security. The ‘Daily News’ wish all peaceful elections.
