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Temco declares Z’bar elections free and fair
2005-11-03 07:16:26
By Monica Mayuni
The just-ended elections in Zanzibar were free and fair, despite a number of pitfalls, the Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee (Temco), has said.
The local monitoring team is the third in the roll to say the elections in Zanzibar were credible and legitimate after SADC and Commonwealth observer missions.
Temco quantified the Zanzibar voting process as free and fair by 83.3 per cent, adding that irregularities though regrettable, were minor.
Speaking yesterday at a press briefing, Temco chairman, Prof Rwekaza Mukandala, said the voting process went on well despite a few incidents of reported irregularities.
He said that peace also prevailed during the campaigns for the elections as the main rival parties, CCM and CUF had enough resources to mobilise their supporters.
He said pregnant women, lactating mothers and disabled people were given special consideration at polling stations with the help of law enforcers.
Prof Mukandala disclosed that his team noted that 15.5 per cent of the polling centres including Mkwajuni School, Jan’gombe Secondary, Mwanakwerekwe, Mtoni Secondary School and Bububu witnessed attempts by some people to vote more than once but were repulsed by relevant authorities.
Temco that CUF leadership, convinced that it had an overwhelming support, resolved to protest if the results were not in their favour, also noted it in a statement.
The statement said that during the campaigns CUF had focused on taking advantage of the social and geographical divisions of Zanzibar to win the polls.
He said registration of the military personnel was one of the most contentious issues that were raised by the opposition CUF.
Prof Mukandala said out of the 50 constituencies covered by Temco, 82.6 per cent had adequate voting materials supplied on time.
He observed that the delay to announce results in far-flung areas led to some discontent among voters who had been eagerly waiting to know the results, but that only 6.1 per cent of such complaints were recorded.
During the registration exercise, CUF is said to have complained that the number of military personnel was too much and intimidating, resulting in one of their supporters being beheaded while a CCM agent and a child were killed.
In a similar situation, Temco in its report observed that convoys of vehicles ferrying supporters from all parts of Unguja or Pemba posed a security challenge to potential voters during the registration exercise.
Temco hired 300 observers, who were on the ground from
November 2004 and out of the lot 100 were delegated to take part in the voter registration exercise.
Prof Mukandala disclosed that a detailed and comprehensive report of Temco’s observation of the electoral process in Zanzibar would be issued later.
Meanwhile, the East African Community (EAC) observer mission has criticised the Western media for negative reporting on Sunday’s general election in Zanzibar.
The mission registered its condemnation in report issued shortly after the announcement of presidential poll results on Tuesday.
The group of observers, which was part of the many missions that monitored the elections, strongly condemned the Western media for negative reporting during the elections.
’The EAC Observer Mission witnessed at first hand the propensity of the media to introduce sensationalism and highlight the negative elements which has the effect of fuelling tensions in the electoral process,’ it says, adding:’In particular, BBC and CNN blew out of proportion the limited and isolated incidents of tension between civilians and security forces to give a false impression of generalised unrest in the otherwise peaceful elections.’
According to the EAC observer mission, the Zanzibar elections ”were free and fair and reflected the will and choice of the people.’
In a report that the group’s leader, Prof Margaret Kamar signed, the mission says the elections were conducted well right from voter registration, civic education and electoral campaign to the polling day and vote counting.
It notes that the counting of votes was transparent, done in the presence of observers and polling agents.
In most cases, objections or complaints were dealt with openly, expeditiously and amicably, it adds.
EAC election observers also noted that, there was a large presence and movement of armed security personnel, but added that the security personnel appeared to interact freely with the general population.
It says:’The Election Observer Mission did not witness any serious incidents of confrontation or harassment between the security personnel and the public.’
However, it says, the preponderant and intrusive troops presence could have contributed to the appearance of an underlying uneasy calm between the security personnel and the citizenry.
In isolated cases, the report says, heavy troops deployment was witnessed at what may have been considered ’potential trouble spots’ where tension broke out on the surface in the form of direct, but limited troop engagements with civilians.
According to the report, the EAC observer group did not witness or receive reports of any significant incidents of confrontations or clashes between rival political parties.
’A commitment to civilised conduct of party activities appeared to prevail all round…CCM and CUF were determined to outdoing each other on visibility and activity through campaign posters and street demonstrations – a healthy demonstration of competitive politics in a democratic society,’ read the report in part.
The observer mission also pointed out that an incident of bias on the part of the government when it broadcast live on state radio and television an October 29 rally, addressed by Karume, but said his rival, Seif Shariff Hamad of CUF was not granted a similar opportunity.
The mission appreciates the active involvement of women and the youth in the election process, which it says ”is exemplary and should be further encouraged, in particular, the need to encourage more women and youth candidates to come forward during future elections.”
It found ZEC appreciably efficient and genuinely aiming to attain high standards of independence, non-partisanship and transparency.
The group added that the elections provided a learning experience with respect to, among other things, establishment of a fair playing ground for all political parties in terms of access to State resources, including State media for application in the electoral process.
EAC observers went to Zanzibar to witness the election process at the invitation of the Tanzanian government and it was the first time member-states of the community were participating in an election of another member state as observers.
The mission conducted its business using literature and media reviews, spot-checks and interviews with interested parties, both groups and individuals.
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