Thursday, April 30, 2015

NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION OPITIMISTIC VOER REGISTRATION WELL ON SCHEDULE !!!


ELIGIBLE voters wait to verify their names during the 2015 local government election at Mwananyamala in Dar es Salaam. (File photo)

THE government will do whatever is within its reach to empower the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in terms of resources to support voter registration efforts through the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system.
“All we need from NEC is to see this exercise (of registering voters) continuing and ending as planned,” said President Kikwete in his last month address to the nation.
“I have already instructed the Treasury to make the electoral commission the first priority in fund release. If it’s not done that way, let NEC officials come and tell me.”
He described the voter registration exercise, which Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda officially launched in Makambako in Iringa Region on February 24, as successful so far. Such success will be replicated countrywide. “The BVR technology will help us to end mistrust among ourselves, complaints and claims about election rigging.
The use of this new technology is testimony to the government’s willingness to have free, transparent and fair elections,” said the president. Giving statistics, the president said that between February 23 and 25, 2015, for instance, NEC anticipated to register 9,541 voters but thanks to the positive response, 13,042 voters were registered, with each station registering between 80 and 150 people, daily.
The target is to register 32,000 voters in Makambako, at an average of 4,320 people daily, said the president. He hinted that as per the observed trend of registering 6,000 people daily, the target will be surpassed by far.
He challenged all citizens with qualifications to register as per NEC timetable, warning that there will not be any other opportunity to do so before the coming general elections in October, 2015. He urged religious, political, government and civil society leaders to collaborate with the electoral commission in mobilising members of the public to register.
“Please, let us not confuse people by giving conflicting information that discourages them from registering,” warned the president. The government was determined to ensure that all qualified people get registered. President Kikwete admitted the likelihood of weaknesses related to the new system, but urged the ‘wananchi’ to remain calm as the hitches were being addressed.
Tanzania Mainland received 1,141,300 copies of the Proposed Constitution for its 25 regions and 200,000 copies were distributed in Zanzibar.
Mr Kikwete said 420 civil societies in Tanzania Mainland and 75 societies in Zanzibar have registered for provision of public awareness on the Proposed Constitution, but added that the campaign will start in accordance with the NEC timetable.
Early this month, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) gave an assurance of the October general election and allayed fears of adjournment as propagated by some politicians.
NEC Chairman, Judge (Rtd), Damian Lubuva said voters’ registration exercise would be completed before end of July and all registered voters will exercise their constitutional rights to vote for their leaders. “NEC has no plan or intention to postpone the October elections for any reason.
Before end of next month (May) a total of 8,000 Biometric Voters’ Register Kits (BVR) would be in use to speed up the process. “We (NEC) call upon political leaders to stop misleading the public under the pretext of fear for delayed update of voters’ register.
The exercise is in good progress and all eligible voters will be registered accordingly,” Judge Lubuva emphasised when speaking at a media conference in Dar es Salaam recently. It was explained that voters who will turn 18 years old by October, this year, are also being registered to make sure that not a single age-qualified person was left out of the inventory.
The NEC Director of Procurement, Dr Gregory Kaijage, said it was not proper to calculate the number of days required for completion of voters’ registration exercise based on Njombe experience because the more BVR kits are received, the greater the registration pace.
“NEC has 248 BVR kits at work in addition to 1,600 others arrived from Dubai. The same number of kits will arrive ready for effective operation in Dodoma, Mbeya, Katavi and Rukwa.
All these BVR kits will be allocated to the regions for simultaneous operation. In this regard hardly 28 days will be enough for completion of the specified regions,” Kaijage.
Voters’ Registration Director, Dr Sisti Kariah announced commencement of the second phase of voters’ registration officially starting April 24, 2015.
The next regions after Njombe include Iringa, Lindi, Ruvuma and Mtwara. “The plan is to have in place 8,000 BVR kits to expedite registration of voters. Early May more kits will be received for registration in scheduled regions. These include Singida, Tabora, Kigoma and Kagera.
Other regions will follow to make sure that by July all will be in the register,” Kariah explained. The clarification by the NEC followed recent statements by some politicians who pointed an accusing finger at the commission, expressing doubt over timely completion of registration of voters.
The Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) will from May 16 commence a 44-day update of the National Voter Register (NVR) in preparation for the general elections in October.
“We aim through the general update exercise to register eligible Zanzibaris of 18 years and above, as well as those who missed registering during the mass registration exercise,” the ZEC Director, Mr Salum Khamis Ali said recently adding that ZEC has already set up its plans for the elections, scheduled for October 25, this year, “If all goes well and unchanged.”
He appealed to all bona fide Zanzibaris to register because there will not be another registration before the polls. The director said ZEC was also encouraging people with disabilities to register for voting - and that under the newlyestablished ‘Gender and Social Inclusion Policy’ voting environment for such citizens will be improved.
According to him, his office has formed the ‘Zanzibar Voter Education Reference Group (ZVERG)’ with members from various stakeholders, including NGOs, security organs and political parties. The group’s role is to carry out voter education. “We are doing all what we can, including being transparent to minimise complaints from political parties and other groups.
We thank UNDP for its ongoing performance assessment drive to improve our work towards the general elections,” he remarked. ZEC Chairperson Jecha Salim Jecha said that there can be no credible election without the participation of all eligible citizens, including men, women, youth, the elderly, disabled, rural and urban dwellers.
Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein has urged the islanders to maintain peace and stability, saying it was crucial at this time when the country is heading to the general elections.
“We need peace, love and tolerance at this time during election, and after. The government will act accordingly in case of any person or group bent on causing a breach of the peace,” Dr Shein gave the warning recently when addressing CCM youth, who took part in a procession in memory of the first president of Zanzibar, the late Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume.
He said peace and stability were prerequisites to economic and social development, challenging the youth to ensure maintenance of peace in the Isles.

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