Tanzania Policy forum wants free and fair election

A task force committee formed by Tanzania policy forum secretariat which stands for local government activities in the country has called on transparency and fair election to be observed by local government authority during the local government election day slated for next week. The deputy chairman of the Board of policy forum Israel Ilunde made a concern over the weekend in Dar es Salaam when reading a summary report of the statement his Board has compiled aimed to enlighten voters on the basic principles of elections which have to be adhered to by the local government at a district and national levels in the country. The report is outlined in a 17 paged booklet booklet titled, “Know the local government elections in villages and their hamlets for 2014” which the Board inaugurated on Thursday last week in Dar es Salaam. The report highlighted together with other things various mistakes which normally occur during such elections conducted at a national level, and in view of this the Board has asked the authorities concerned to be careful and adhere correctly to the stipulated guidelines. He noted among the common mistakes which the local government does not scrutinize includes wrong information issued by candidates prior to elections, twice casting of votes by prospective voters, supervisors to threaten voters or candidates and doing campaigns during the election day. Others he noted are people to put on party’s dresses and their emblems which identify them to which party they belong, to stop supervisors from doing their works as required and the tendency of prospective candidates to go against oath taken by them once elected. Elaborating more about the principles as they have been summarized in page 10 of the booklet under the sub heading that reads “Mistakes of elections”, Ilunde noted that his fellow Board members saw the need to compile the statement to enable ordinary people in the country have a general understanding of the local government election matters and how these are conducted. “This book contains a summary report of the election principles as it was announced in a government gazette No. GN 321, 322 and 323 which was issued in September this year”, he said adding that is as in accordance with the local government Act. He further highlighted that, these have been written in Chapter s 287 and 288 which targets the district authority and town council authorities respectively. However, he said there are also some other important things which have been summarily put in their book as they had earlier endorsed by the Ministry of Local Government Authority and Regional Administration for local government elections due in 2014. The call by policy forum task force has come when the nation is hectic in preparations for registration of voters at a local government level and insisted then illegible candidates to emerge to contest for the available opportunities.