THE Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has said that it is ready for the general election re-run on March 20 in the Isles -- to take place at about 1,580 polling stations.
It will involve both presidential and
parliamentary votes following the nullification of last October’s
elections due to what the commission described as “massive
irregularities’’.
The commission says all voting materials
are to be distributed to regional offices in Unguja and Pemba in the
last week prior to the election date. They will be delivered to the
respective polling centres before the voting day.
Consignment of ballot papers printed in
South Africa is scheduled to arrive next week -- on March 11, 2016. The
results will be known as soon as the counting and tallying of ballot
papers is over, with ZEC promising to announce winner of presidential
elections within 72 hours in accordance with the electoral law.
According to ZEC Chairman Jecha Salim
Jecha, Zany reforms in the electoral process have been made aimed at
avoiding fraud and sabotage of the elections.
A number of local and international
observers have applied for permission to follow-up the poll re-run
During an interview with the state-run Television Zanzibar (TVZ), Mr
Jecha reiterated his call for political tolerance, saying his decision
to nullify the election results was the ‘best solution’ to move Zanzibar
from possible unrest after one of the presidential candidate declared
himself winner -- contrary to regulations. “Tension was very high after
the voting exercise.
Some members of ZEC were forcing me to
announce their candidate the winner even before verification. It was a
dangerous move that divided commissioners in the electoral body,” said
Mr Jecha.
He also blamed some observers that they
had a hidden agenda “as they took sides in the nullified elections’’ and
that almost all international observers avoided going to Pemba,
following threats that there was a possibility of violence there.
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