DEMOKRASIA NI GHARAMA TANZANIA KWINGINEKO DUNIANI!

DASSU STEPHEN, 27th March 2009 @ 09:48

Preparations are underway for the Local government elections slated for October this year and will cost about 6bn/-. Minister of State, Office of the Prime Minister, Regional Administration and Local Government,

Ms Cellina Kombani has told the 'Daily News on Saturday' in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam that the cost, to be incurred by the central government, are related to purchasing of ballot papers, ballot boxes, transportation and registration. The minister said: “What I can say is that preparations for the local government elections are going on well.

The final draft of the regulations is in place, and ballot boxes are being solicited from our local factories. She said that the elections would cover 61,000 centres in rural areas and 5,000 centres in urban areas, adding: “In 2004, local government elections were held only at village levels, but the forthcoming elections will be peculiar in the sense that they will be held at the Kitongoji level and Mtaa.

This will give room for more people at grass roots levels to participate.” Tanzania mainland has a total of 10,400 villages and 57,000 vitongoji. Kitongoji is the lowest level of division in the village level set up in rural areas while Mtaa falls under same category in urban settings. According to her, elections will be modified to make them more participatory as all 18 registered political parties,

Civil Society Organisations and returning officers (Council Directors) participated in the consultative process and have all signed the agreement on the way forward. “Previously, the consultative process was not extensive… as there were no ballot papers, ballot boxes and registration was done on the voting day.

All these have been rectified in the coming elections,” she said. She called upon the general public to fully participate in the elections and elect leaders who are diligent, dedicated and committed to serve the people in respective areas. “Every Tanzanian has to know that he or she has a stake in the development of our country, and thus they need to elect leaders who will relentlessly spearhead people's socio-economic development,” she said