Electoral commission starts issuing nomination forms

National Electoral Commission (NEC) chairman (retired) Judge Damian Lubuva speaks in Dar es Salaam  yesterday on nomination form programme ahead of October 25 General Election. Left is Dar es Salaam Special Zone region Police Commander, Suleiman Kova and right is head of election supervision desk Clothilde Komba. PHOTO|CITIZEN PHOTOGRAPHER 

In Summary

• NEC said three parties — United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP), Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) and Democratic Party (DP) — are scheduled to pick the forms today.
• NEC chairman Damian Lubuva said yesterday UPDP had been scheduled to pick up the forms at 9am followed by TLP at noon and DP at 2pm.

Dar es Salaam. The issuance of presidential nomination forms starts today, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced.

NEC said three parties — United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP), Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) and Democratic Party (DP) — are scheduled to pick the forms today.

NEC chairman Damian Lubuva said yesterday UPDP had been scheduled to pick up the forms at 9am followed by TLP at noon and DP at 2pm.

Judge Lubuva said on August 4, CCM would pick up the forms at around 12 and on the next day at 9am it will be the turn of the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC).

The Tanzania Democratic Alliance (Tadea) and Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) have been scheduled to pick up the forms on August 17.

“Some of the political parties have said they will come with their members to collect the forms. We have allowed them to celebrate on condition that their celebrations do not contravene the laws as well as they should not inconvenience other people’s activities,” he said.

The NEC chairman, who at the press conference was accompanied by Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander Suleiman Kova, said even if parties come with many members and supporters, it is the contestants and few members who will be allowed into the NEC offices to pick up the forms.

Duly filled in and signed forms should be returned before August 21.

Campaigns will kick off on August 22.

He said each presidential aspirant would be required to look for 200 guarantors from eight regions from Mainland Tanzania and two from Zanzibar.

The head of Elections at NEC, Ms Clothilde Komba, said each aspirant seeking presidential nomination will be required to pay a Sh1 million fee when returning the forms. Fees for parliamentary and councillorship candidates have been set at Sh50,000 and Sh5,000 respectively.

In the meantime, Judge Lubuva reprimanded politicians and asked them to desist from issuing inflammatory statements. “Leaders should be careful on what they utter in public because by doing so they may cause chaos,” he said.

He also advised registered voters not to issue their voting cards to anyone. “People should not even use them as collateral when seeking loans. Voting card should always be under your custody if you want to vote,” he stressed.

Mr Kova promised additional security during the process of picking up nomination forms.

He warned that any member or leader who would defy police directives would be dealt with accordingly.

(Reported by Goodluck Eliona and Pamela Chilongola)