 |
International Observers for Tanzania's Elections Urged to Learn More
Chairman of the Tanzanian National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lewis Makame has underscored the need for international observers to witness the upcoming general elections to have background knowledge on the country's socio-political situation.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day briefing meeting for election observers on Monday, the NEC chairman said the knowledge would enable them to do their work fairly and effectively.
"Unhappily, sometimes people start observing elections without reasonable background knowledge of the social and political ecology and without real focus," he told observers from about 80 groups.
However, he expressed hope that the observers would come out of the meeting better equipped for the challenging task ahead.
"The program of this meeting promises to remove the gaps there may be in your state of preparedness before deployment," he said.
At the meeting, about 150 observers were provided with background information on a number of issues including the structure and functions of the NEC and the country's administrative structure, constitutional and legal framework of the elections.
They were also given an overview of the political history and politics of Tanzania and their impact on the electoral process.
Over 200 foreign observers will be stationed across Tanzania this week to conduct on-the-spot checks of final preparations for the general elections scheduled for October 29 in Tanzania's mainland and the semi-autonomous Zanzibar Isles.
Foreign and local observers are expected to monitor the final days of the election campaigns, voting, counting of votes and the announcement of results.
Voters will elect presidents for the United Republic of Tanzania and Zanzibar, members of parliament for the Union National Assembly and the Isles House of Representatives and local councilors on both sides of the union in the second multi-party elections in the eastern African country.
In This Section
|