National Electoral Commission chairman Judge (rtd) Damian Lubuva (R) has a word with UNDP's Resident Representative to Tanzania, Phillippe Poinsot, in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
By David Kisanga
Despite protests by opposition parties over the use of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits, the government has gone ahead and paid 290bn/- for the purchase of the items.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on democracy yesterday in Dar es Salaam, NEC Chairperson, Retired Justice Damian Lubuva confirmed that 290bn/- has already been paid as advance to procure the BVR kits.
“The kits will arrive in the country any time now,’ he said “…the forthcoming general election will be conducted under a new and updated voters’ register,” he added.
According to the Commissioner, the government approved the monies to ensure NEC revises the register before next year’s general election.
“We are seeking to build confidence and trust amongst voters, this will create a free and fair election that people want,” he explained.
Justice Lubuva said the Commission is moving to increase polling stations from 24,000 to 40,000 by next year to ensure the stations are closer to people and easily accessible.
He also confirmed that NEC is now empowered to oversee local government elections a task that was previously on the hands of Regional Administration and Local Governments.
Main opposition parties in the country have criticised the planned use of electronic voter registration since it was first announced back in June this year.
The parties, Chadema, CUF and NCCR Mageuzi argued that NEC introducing the new system didn’t consult them or other ‘key players in the electoral process’ ahead of deciding to use the kits.
Back then, the opposition warned against what they described as ‘hasty adoption’ of the new poll management system, with a caution that it might fail as it has in other countries.
In June this year, NEC announced the plans to re-register all eligible voters in the country through the BVR technology in an effort to address challenges of the Optical Mark Recognition system that has been use.
NEC explained that the new technology will help curb double registrations, identify voters during elections and ease transfer of voters’ information from one place to another especially when a person relocates.
The exercise was scheduled to begin between August and September of this year with a total of 298bn/- expected to be spent.
In his address to press, NEC Chairperson, Lubuva financial constraints have stalled the process but he did not specify when it is planned to start.
The two day workshop is attended by United National Development Programme (UNDP) and key democracy monitoring and promotion institutions in the country. It has brought together officials from Zanzibar Election of Commission (ZEC), National Electoral Commission (NEC), Judiciary, office of the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) and Police Force.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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