AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS Tanzanians are enthusiastically waiting for the decisive day- -October 28, when the 2020 General Election will be held, it is upsetting to learn that some political cowards are orchestrating hate speech, assaults and other forms of violence.
Elections, being a democratic process to get leaders should be a peaceful process and by any chance must not subject the country into intense worry, and, never shall it be a season of violence, mayhem and disorder.
This means, we cannot move a step further if we are not in a position to know how peace matters to the world. And, Tanzania’s security organs are under obligation to do all in their powers to ensure that nothing divides us void of our different political affiliations and philosophical persuasions.
Polls provide means by which competition in society can be channelled into a constructive process with common rules to choose representatives of the people.
Robust democratic institutions are usually understood as the ultimate backer for social peace.
Conversely, since electoral processes are intrinsically about the accomplishment of political power, often in high-stake contexts, elections to some parochial politicians do not only mean a process of competition for power but rather a process to instigate violence and disunite people.
As election campaigns are almost midway in the run up to the much-anticipated day, there are some politicians participating in a clandestine to deliberate strategies on how to terrorise innocent citizens with recent incidents reported in Zanzibar and Songwe region.
We commend security organs for the efforts so far taken to bring culprits to book and we have high trust in our defence and security agencies’ ability to maintain the country’s peace and unearth all dishonest people bent on disrupting tranquility.
This impulsive mindset is what all Tanzanians and key election stakeholders must condemn in strongest terms possible and desist from entertaining threats of violence and counter violence from various candidate camps.
All candidates and parties must immediately cease from violence and malpractices that undermine democracy.
To avoid posing any more threat to the enjoyment of citizen’s rights and freedoms, they must publicly condemn the reported violations and ensure that those responsible face appropriate actions.
It is important that human rights are observed during election period as a way of guaranteeing the right environment, a pathway towards respecting the will of the people, for checking irresponsible acts and a measure for the citizens to make informed choices.
