Opposition leaders welcome Judge Lubuva’s views

A Day after the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) the retired judge Damian Lubuva proposed his views requesting for the establishment of an independently working electoral commission in the country, leaders of the political parties have welcomed his views with great enthusiasm. judge Lubuva made his presentation on Friday last week in Dar es Salaam before members of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) led by Chairman Judge Joseph Warioba who were in their usual meeting of collecting people’s views to be included in the national constitutional review making process. Speaking in an exclusive interview at different times in Dar es Salaam on Friday last week, some political leaders jointly commented their appreciation over the idea noting that to have an independent working electoral commission is the key towards maintaining a true democratic leadership in the country. However, they have hailed Judge Lubuva’s views which he issued before the commission team saying that, the idea is also in line with their party’s manifestos for which they have been campaigning through since the re-introduction of multi-party politics in the country about two decades ago. “We have had been striving to have an independent electoral commission in which its members have to work independently and without any interference from the government” said Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, the Chairman of the Civil United Front (CUF) the second leading opposition party in the country. He said in a telephone interview that, the current National electoral commission works in an environment that it cannot be trusted at all as all its members are appointed by then ruling an aspect that creates some sort of uncertainties and disbelief among voters in the country. He said that, election supervisors at a district level where there are majority of voters are district council workers who are appointed by the government led by the ruling party, and therefore it becomes impossible to expect a free and fair election under such circumstances. According to him, if an independent commission is set to organize own matters under special law, then it would have opened an opportunity to conduct the country’s elections in a peaceful manner and moreover in free and with fairness without favoritism. Professor Lipumba has greatly thanked the Judge Lubuva for having seen the matter broadly bearing the fact that, he is a Chairman of the electoral commission for which he might have seen lots or irregularities on the course of work execution during elections. Cornered for comments, the Chairman of the UDP party, John Cheyo said that, the issue of having an independent election commission has long been a subject of debate ushered by opposition parties in the country, the demanding for the free commission process had been delayed ever since the multiparty systems came into being. He is however, appreciating the idea of Judge Lubuva which he issued before a constitutional review commission team, as it would make a democratic republic whereby political parties would be free when conducting national elections. In addition, Cheyo has suggested that, a newly instituted national election commission should recruit independent workers who are not affiliated in any way by any party whatsoever when it comes to decision making processes.  However he said for one thing, the commission must be well remunerated and that it should have its own governing policies and laws that guides elections and the internal governance should not be interfered anyway whatsoever. Comparing the current NEC with others in the world in terms of their internal operations, he noted that, Tanzania’s electoral commission is having some elements which do not show its proper implications and as such its budget is not stable. Citing an example of the election commission of the Republic of Ghana, he noted that is good to emulate as the commission has its own secretariat which deals with ethics, and is being invited by other political parties in their country to exchange views and share experiences with members of opposition parties if need be. Members of the Tanzania Electoral Commission are appointed the president of the ruling party as per the constitution of the country which was last amended in 1977 during the time of the one party system. However, after having realized the existing disparities among the stakeholders and peace loving people in the country, the public including the opposition parties have been crying to have the constitutional change in this aspect which was passed during the one party system. Speaking on behalf of the National Electoral Commission before the members of the constitutional review commission, Judge Lubuva said that, there is a need for Tanzania to have a free electoral commission which is acceptable by all elect ion stakeholders and people in general. However, he further noted that, the commission should be working independently without interference by the government and that it should be left to decide its own matters for the interest for the welfare of the nation. “The freedom of the commission should start right from name of the commission itself, which musty literally change and to replace the name freedom might cause a positive notion over the electoral commission” he said. However, he elaborated that, a free and fair national commission is supposed to be established under the new constitution of the country just as it is in other African countries. He mentioned the countries like South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Botswana and proposed that, the appointments of the members should be done by different stakeholders before their names are submitted to the president before is approved by the National Parliament.