By Our Correspondent, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania
As Tanzania now moves
toward October 28 general elections, the heads of mission of 11 donor countries
have highlighted the importance of free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections.
Chadema Presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu's rally in Mwanza Tanzania
On October 28th of this year, Tanzania will
hold a general election to elect a president and vice-president, members of
parliament, and councillors.
In a statement released on September
2, the heads of mission of 11 Embassies and Consulates, called on all stakeholders
in the elections to embrace peace and reject violence.
They also urged law
enforcement and administration to remain politically-neutral, and to protect
all voters, activists, and candidates equally and fully.
“Now that the 2020 electoral campaigns have started,
the heads of missions of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands,
Norway, Sweden and Switzerland in Tanzania extend our best wishes to all
candidates contesting for the Presidential, Parliamentary and council positions.”
Reads the joint statement issued September
2.
 |
| Chadema Presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu |
They said that they equally express eager hope
and anticipation that the process will see pledges for free and fair elections
come true during the 2020 election period.
“We underline our support to the democratic
process and the functioning of democratic institutions in Tanzania. We hope
that men and women, young and elderly will have equal opportunities to
participate throughout the remaining process.” The statement said.
The statement posted on the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania, Elisabeth
Jacobsen, twitter page read further: Enhanced transparency through means like
internal and external observation, broad, free and equitable media coverage, as
well as clear and fair adjudication of disputes, will also strengthen the
legitimacy of the whole electoral process among Tanzania citizens.”
“We call on all stakeholders
to commit to ensuring a secure environment for all contestants, respect for the
rule of law and fully impartiality of the institutions and authorities in
charge of managing the elections.” The Ambassadors’ statement said.
They said that as representatives of their
countries they recall their long standing interest in and support for
development and democracy in Tanzania based on long historic and close
relationship.
The United States ambassador to Tanzania, Donald Wright said that “I fully agree with this
message from some of my fellow Ambassadors to Tanzania. As I have said before,
I look forward to seeing fair, transparent, and peaceful elections in Tanzania
this year, and will work with all stakeholders to make it happen.”
The High
Commission of Canada to Tanzania also posted the same statement to their
twitter page.
Last week, some key opposition leaders in Tanzania alleged foul play by ruling
Chama Cha Mapinduzi party in collaboration with National Election Commission
(NEC) as tensions rise in the run up to the general
election.
 |
| Ruling party CCM Presidential candidate, John Magufuli |
The main
opposition party (CHADEMA) and the ACT-Wazalendo (that has majority support in
Zanzibar) said hundreds of their candidates were barred after objections filed
by the ruling party and easily accepted by the NEC.
“Our parliamentary
candidates and those of ACT-Wazalendo countrywide have been unlawfully
disqualified,” Chadema Presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu said in his campaign
rally. “There’s no credible democratic election without opposition candidates.”
He said following countrywide mass disqualifications of their
parliamentary and civic candidates, he called for peaceful nationwide mass
protests to demand immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all
disqualified candidates.
Seif
Shariff Hamad, the ACT-Wazalendo presidential candidate in the semi-autonomous
Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, told supporters to be prepared for mass
action.
“Enough
is enough,” he said of party members being barred from the race.
No comments:
Post a Comment