Ukawa cautions misuse of BVR machines

As the registration of voters is about to start in Dar es Salaam and Coast regions, a senior leader of the political parties forming the Coalition of Defenders of People's Constitution (Ukawa) has cautioned youth who support the group to be careful with Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) machines. Dr. Wibroad Slaa who is also the Secretary General of the opposition Chadema party made the announcements yesterday in Dar es Salaam when addressing Dar es Salaam elders in a meeting organized by Chadema with a view to recognise their contribution towards general election. This is the first meeting under the theme titled, “elders and the future of our nation towards the general election” that the opposition has organized to speak with the Dar es Salaam elders ever since the multiparty system of rule was introduced in the country in July 1992. He said that, theft of people’s votes normally starts from the registration processes whereby the opposition group normally are not given special attention it deserve when it comes to recognize their voting rights. He said the ongoing registration in the BVR machines in some parts of the country has caused a lot of confusion and unnecessary inconveniences an aspect that has caused fear among the voters. In view of this, Dr. Slaa has cautioned youths to be careful with the exercises due to take place in earnest and urged them to stand firm in order to tackle any suspicious transactions that might be tampered wrongly in the machines. Before he delivered his speech, Dr., Slaa was honoured with a traditional dress attire used by traditional chiefs of the Coastal local elders known as ’Mwinyikambi’ before the coming of colonialists and was offered a traditional stool known as ‘Kigoda ‘’on which to sit on as a sign of respect. In his speech, Dr. Slaa said that, as the current government system has left elders behind in terms of valuing their pension rights, Chadema party has promised them to restore their dignity incase people would choose the party to lead the government during October elections. 

Chadema's Secretary General Dr. Wilbroad Slaa

However, he symbolized the elders’ exercise and compared the action like when the father of the nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere returned back from the United Nations in late 1950s where he went on a special mission to claim for Tanganyika’s freedom and received by elders at the airport. He further noted that such actions are sufficient indication that demonstrates the liberation freedom movements of Tanzanians who are subjected with lots of social, economic problems that includes ignorance, diseases and poverty which still faces their lives. On his part, the Chadema’s party chairman for Coastal Zone Mabere Marando said that, for the Ukawa to win a landslide victory people much emerge during the elections and at the moment must make sure that they register themselves to curb the obstacles ahead of them. “There is no way to remove the ruling CCM party in power other than forming  a joint cooperation among ourselves”, he insisted and urged Ukawa members to form a strong  solidarity. He said the total number of the illegible voters in the Coast and Dar es Salaam region is about 3 million and out of these 2.3 million people from Dar es Salaam region alone. He has however, asked youths to join a combined force into voting for Ukawa and asked the elders to give more blesses to liberators in order to win a tough game that is ahead of them. The meeting which had some elements of campaigns in it, had its Chairman of the elders council Hashim Juma Issa who promised three issues that if Chadema would be elected to lead the government that they would do to the elders in the country. He outlined such things as free medical treatment up to abroad, free shuttling in the city of Dar es Salaam through commuter buses, to increase their pension from the current Sh. 50,000/- to Sh. 100,000/- and other fringe benefits.