The Coalition of People's Constitution (Ukawa) yesterday confirmed to have written the United Nations, complaining on President Jakaya Kikwete’s recent warning that law-enforcement agents would deal with those who will not leave the polling stations after voting.
It also copied the letter to other international bodies like the Commonwealth of Nations, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU).
The decision was taken hardly a few days after Kikwete issued a statement warning voters to go back home after casting their votes, in what he described as avoiding possible chaos that could occur at polling stations on October 25 prompted by flocks of people.
The Kikwete’s warning is objected by the rainbow movement which is made up of four political parties—Chadema, the Civic United Front (CUF), National League for Democracy (NLD) and NCCR-Mageuzi.
Ukawa maintains that people should camp 200 metres from the polling stations as indicated in Section 104(1) of the National Election Act as they wait for election results.
Addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Chadema’s head of Legal and Campaign Compliance, John Mallya said the aim of writing the UN is to seek for its intervention in President Kikwete’s statement that appears to infringe the people’s rights.
He said the letter was signed by the party’s Vice Chairman, Prof Abdallah Safari on behalf of the National Chairman, Freeman Mbowe.
He said the letter was forwarded to the UN and copied to the Commonwealth, AU and the ICC.
Detailing, he said Section 104 (1) states clearly that people are allowed to stay 200 metres from the polling stations after casting their votes.
“President Kikwete’s statement has all indicators of infringing people’s democratic rights, since he has no mandate to translate the country’s laws …,” he said.
Mallya said that the law forbids people to do political activities in an area which is within 200 metres from the polling station.
“President Kikwete’s remarks were meant to threaten people, but the fact is that they are allowed to stay 200 metres from the polling stations,” the official stressed.
According to him, people have the right to stay 200 metres from the polling stations as they want to ensure that their votes are safe from unfaithful agents, who might want to steal them in favourof any contender.
Mallya assured voters that the law is very clear and provides a room for them to stay as far as 200 metres from the polling stations.
“I urge security organs to adhere to the country’s laws during the polling day and avoid unnecessary force for the well-being of this nation,” he said.
The tag-of-war over who should be present at polling centres took a new twist after the Coalition for People’s Constitution (Ukawa) started objecting a directive issued by President Jakaya Kikwete’s that voters must go home after voting.
That was hardly a day after the President had instructed that voters should leave for their homes after they had cast their votes on October 25 to avoid possible outbreak of chaos.
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