Pinda hints on referendum delay

Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe, speak in Parliament yesterday.  PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI 

By The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• He was responding to a question from the leader of official opposition in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai – Chadema) .

Dodoma. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda yesterday hinted at the possibility of the referendum on  the proposed new constitution  being postponed if the National Electoral Commission (NEC) doesn’t ............
meet the  deadline  for preparing a new voters register using  the biometric voter registration (BVR) system.

He was responding to a question from the leader of official opposition in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai – Chadema) .

Speaking during  question-and-answer  time, Mr Pinda explained that, inadequate funding was a big drawback to the planned application of BVR technology.

The registration targets an estimated 24 million eligible voters.

“The exercise has been delayed largely because the government doesn’t have enough money to undertake it immediately,” said Mr Pinda. Mr Mbowe  had expressed concern over frequent rescheduling of the exercise.

The premier  however, pledged that, the government would give NEC the money it needs for procuring  7,000 BVR kits and  embark on voter registration by mid-February as scheduled.

Mr Pinda shared  Mr Mbowe’s sentiment that all stakeholders, especially political parties, should participate in the process.

Mr Mbowe had been sceptical over whether NEC would manage to complete the registration  and supervise the  scheduled April 30 referendum effectively.

He said pilot exercises  in Kawe, Kilombero and Mlele constituencies had pointed to the need for BVR kits to be improved in order to function at a satisfactory speed.

The legislator explained that, at the current rate of one kit registering 22 voters a day,  it was highly doubtful whether 24 million voters could be registered by  the 8,000 kits NEC intended to order.

Mr Mbowe had proposed that  rescheduling  the refendum date was the only logical solution.

But against the backdrop of Mr Pinda citing  financial problems on the issue, The Citizen revealed, in October last year, that, his office rejected an offer from the French and Canadian  governments to finance the supply of 12,233 kits to NEC.  Under the deal, the benefactors would have offered a soft loan, but on some conditions, one of which would be to award the contract to a firm from either of the two countries.