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Observers’ verdict: Zanzibar polls free and fair
2005-11-02 08:05:58
By Pacifique Nkeshimana
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Observers team said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that Zanzibar’s presidential, House of Representatives and civic elections were free and fair.
Speaking at a press conference, John Alphonse Pandeni, the SADC election observers team leader, who is also the Minister for Regional and Local Governments, Rural Development and Housing and transport in Namibia said that Tanzanians, especially the people of Zanzibar deserve to be commended following the peaceful, professionally managed and transparent elections.
He said: ’’The people of Zanzibar have expressed their verdict in a peaceful and impressive manner that would go a long way in consolidating and strengthening democracy and development not only in Zanzibar, but also in the entire SADC region.’’
Pandeni said that the SADC mission was impressed by the conduct of the people of Zanzibar for their political tolerance and maturity displayed on the polling day.
’’In SADC Mission’s view, this bodes well for nurturing the culture of multiparty democracy as an essential instrument for the entrenchment of democracy,’’ he said.
The SADC observers’ team leader said that even the pre-election phase was characterised by peace, tolerance and political vigour of party leaders and candidates.
Pandeni disclosed that in the discharge of its duties and responsibilities, SADC Mission interacted with political parties and electoral Commission forum of SADC member states, the Parliamentary Forum of SADC member States, Civil Society Organisations and Opinion-Makers and members of the media.
’’These meetings served to gain an insight of the political environment and electoral management and to compare notes on various aspects of the election process in the country,’’ he said.
He added that SADC was humbled by compliments by the people of Zanzibar wherever its members went.
Pandeni said that SADC Mission noted a commendable level of political tolerance, maturity and civil behaviour of political leadership across Zanzibar Islands.
He also said that Zanzibar people should be congratulated for the peaceful manner in which supporters of different parties behaved when attending political rallies and meetings.
The SADC Mission commended Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) for a job well done during and after political campaign meetings, vote casting and counting.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Observer Group has also said that the Zanzibar elections were free and fair.
A statement issued yesterday and signed by the Commonwealth Observer Group Chairperson, Prof Guido De Marco says that many parts of Zanzibar Election Day went well and that in most of the constituencies it was peaceful and the stations were orderly.
The statement says there was high turnout and that in most part, the arrangements made by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission worked well.
’’In general the ballot papers and other key materials were delivered to the right places in the right numbers, generally the staff were competent and the procedures were followed’’.
”As a rule voters found their names on the register. The secrecy of the ballot was ensured. The counting of the votes was broadly in line with the guidelines’’.
The statement said party agents were present at almost all stages of the process and were given copies of the polling station results sheets. The police were low-key and helpful.
’’We were pleased to see large numbers of women amongst the voters and the polling station staff. The voters themselves were eager and responsible participants in the process - keen to exercise their franchise and prepared to wait many hours in the sun to do so’’.
’’Overall, this was a good election. Positive changes were made in order to provide greater transparency - such as counting the votes at the polling stations. Generally, arrangements worked and conditions were such as to enable the people to express their will’’.
However, the statement said in at least three places in Zanzibar town - Forodhani, Mtoni and Kiwanda cha Madawa - there was violence at polling stations between police local people and large groups of male - sometimes uniformed - persons who, it was claimed, were outsiders and not registered at those stations and had already voted elsewhere.
Tear gas was used and weapons fired. At all three locations it appears that these persons were successful in their attempts to vote.
’’In one of the stations we were told by the Presiding Officer of irregularities in the marking of the register.
Attempts were later made to deny Commonwealth and other international observers access to some of the affected polling stations’’.
’’We believe that the Zanzibar Electoral Commission must now conduct a thorough investigation to establish exactly what went on, whether the integrity of the electoral process at these particular stations was impaired and, if so, how seriously’’.
The statement said other problems were less dramatic.
’’At most stations where we were present the list of voters’ names was displayed on the walls only that morning.
In many stations the initial processing of the voters was slow. Where we were present the post-count arrangements for the transport of the results sheets and materials were not well organised’’.
’’Most seriously, in some places people with voter’s cards were allowed to vote, even though their names were not on the register; and in most places the results were not posted in public at the counting centres’’
The Commonwealth Observer Group will follow up the results process and will remain in Zanzibar until November 2.
The statement provides a broad overview on the events of Election Day and that part of the results process. It does not take into account of all the factors impinging on the credibility of the entire electoral process.
As international observers monitoring Zanzibar’s poll released their interim reports, a mixed picture emerged of the election, with some branding it a success and others being critical of the electoral process.
Teams from the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gave a good overall picture of Sunday’s vote for the semi-autonomous island’s president, House of Representatives and local councils.
However, the team acknowledged that in at least three places in Zanzibar, there had been violence at polling stations, with tear gas used and weapons fired.
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