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Major rifts emerge in ZEC over...
2005-10-07 07:25:18
By Issa Yussuf, Zanzibar
A major rift has emerged in the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) over the award of this month’s general election ballot papers printing contract.
Sources told The Guardian yesterday that the ballot papers for the Zanzibar elections have not been printed as a result of the differences among ZEC officials, precipitated by the government’s directive to cancel a contract earlier awarded to Universal Group of South Africa.
The two are divided over which company and country should be awarded the tender for the elections material.
Reached for comments, ZEC information officer Idrissa Jecha said, ’I have no comment. If ZEC has anything for the press, we’ll let you know. At the moment, the information I have is that we are working hard to deliver the materials in time.’
ZEC commissioner Nassor Seif confirmed that there were serious divisions among ZEC officials over the ballot papers tender, which has drawn in the government.
’We are running out of time as it is becoming difficult to assemble the material for the elections. We are increasingly becoming frustrated by the government’s persistent interference in our preparations,’ Nassor said.
An impeccable source told The Guardian that, while ZEC preferred Universal Group to print the ballot papers, the government wants the tender to be awarded to a different company.
Ironically, it is the government, which had initially okayed the contract with the Universal Group.
’ZEC’s initial contract with Universal had set September 21 as the deadline for printing the material after settling the 50 per cent down-payment of the total cost.
The finer details were to be worked out by the September 26. Unfortunately things changed at the last minute,’ the source said.
She said the government directed ZEC to enter a fresh contract with either Free State firm of South Africa or Supercom of Israel.
Supercom was contracted for $2 million to prepare and issue national identity cards early this year.
But, she said, two of the seven ZEC commissioners have rejected the government’s proposal on the grounds that Free State has no previous experience in printing election materials.
The two commissioners want ZEC to proceed with Universal Group, which also printed ballot papers for the May, 2003 by-elections in Pemba.
They want the company to be awarded the contract because it is also handling the ballot papers for the Union elections.
They also argue that the Universal Group has been working with both ZEC and the National Electoral Commission since the registration of voters started last year.
According to ZEC elections timetable, the ballot papers must be ready by October 19.
Donors are not funding the printing of ballot papers after the government decided to meet the cost. It set aside $250,000 for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the British government has advised its citizens to be cautious when visiting Zanzibar.
In an advisory posted on its website yesterday, the British Foreign Affairs Department, said, ’Tension has been rising in Zanzibar and political unrest is possible. You should exercise caution, seek local advice and monitor this travel advisory.’
’A general election will be held in Tanzania on 30 October 2005. Previous elections have generally been peaceful on the Mainland. But on Zanzibar (both Unguja and Pemba) there were violent demonstrations following the 2000 elections,’ the advisory reads in part.
Last week, the US government issued similar warnings to its citizens.
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