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- Oct 6, 2011
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Only voters failing to register registered despite being at designated centre in time will be granted an opportunity to register after the process closes, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced.
In a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday in Dar es Salaam, NEC Chairman Judge (retired) Damian Lubuva said the Commission will only consider people who went to the registration centres but missed the chance to register on the last day of registration.
NEC will only extend registration time for those who were in line at the registration offices but were not registered up to the close of the registration process and not anyone else, he said.
The development comes in the wake of escalating concerns that they are not being registered despite turning up for the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) in their respective areas.
Generally, the complains are centred around speed and time of the process with many arguing that the process is slow yet the time given is short and as a result, many would be voters fail to be registered effectively denying their constitutional right to vote.
Only those who turn up at the centres on the last day of registration but fail to be register will get the opportunity to register thereafter, the NEC Chairman stressed.
The retired Judge explained that names of those in line will be recorded and they will have a chance to register the following day after the process is closed.
This extension will not involve people who didnt turn up at the registration centres, he clarified.
The NEC Chairman called upon eligible voters to turn up in large numbers to register for the general election reassuring them that the Commission is well prepared and no one will be left out.
In a related development, in Geita Region Correspondent Rose Jacob reports eruption of chaos on Saturday at a registration centre at the Kalangalala secondary school.
The chaos emerged as residents demanded the BVR machines be increased to accommodate the masses that turned up on the last day of registration.
Police were forced to intervene to calm the residents and according to the report no one was injured in the scuffle.
Speaking to press, one of the residents Byemelo Elias said having one BVR machine at each centre will only cause more chaos to erupt because it denies the people their right to register and vote.
The machines are just too few, he complained.
This situation will cause more chaos because there are very many people remaining yet there are only two days left, he said.
Another resident, Rogers Luhega lamented the fact that many people with special needs have not been given priority in the process.
Luhega said that expectant mothers, people with disabilities and elders face enormous difficulties during the registration process because the lines are long and the process is slow.
Kambarage Street Chairman Mfaume Nkelega said that in his street of 3000 people only 400 have been registered.
I call upon NEC to extend the registration time, he urged however, that is an appeal that will not bare any fruit as the NEC Chairman retired Judge Lubuva said, the Commission will only consider people who went to the registration centres but missed the chance to register on the last day of registration and no one else.
Elsewhere in the country, residents are also making similar appeals for the registration process to be extended.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
In a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday in Dar es Salaam, NEC Chairman Judge (retired) Damian Lubuva said the Commission will only consider people who went to the registration centres but missed the chance to register on the last day of registration.
NEC will only extend registration time for those who were in line at the registration offices but were not registered up to the close of the registration process and not anyone else, he said.
The development comes in the wake of escalating concerns that they are not being registered despite turning up for the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) in their respective areas.
Generally, the complains are centred around speed and time of the process with many arguing that the process is slow yet the time given is short and as a result, many would be voters fail to be registered effectively denying their constitutional right to vote.
Only those who turn up at the centres on the last day of registration but fail to be register will get the opportunity to register thereafter, the NEC Chairman stressed.
The retired Judge explained that names of those in line will be recorded and they will have a chance to register the following day after the process is closed.
This extension will not involve people who didnt turn up at the registration centres, he clarified.
The NEC Chairman called upon eligible voters to turn up in large numbers to register for the general election reassuring them that the Commission is well prepared and no one will be left out.
In a related development, in Geita Region Correspondent Rose Jacob reports eruption of chaos on Saturday at a registration centre at the Kalangalala secondary school.
The chaos emerged as residents demanded the BVR machines be increased to accommodate the masses that turned up on the last day of registration.
Police were forced to intervene to calm the residents and according to the report no one was injured in the scuffle.
Speaking to press, one of the residents Byemelo Elias said having one BVR machine at each centre will only cause more chaos to erupt because it denies the people their right to register and vote.
The machines are just too few, he complained.
This situation will cause more chaos because there are very many people remaining yet there are only two days left, he said.
Another resident, Rogers Luhega lamented the fact that many people with special needs have not been given priority in the process.
Luhega said that expectant mothers, people with disabilities and elders face enormous difficulties during the registration process because the lines are long and the process is slow.
Kambarage Street Chairman Mfaume Nkelega said that in his street of 3000 people only 400 have been registered.
I call upon NEC to extend the registration time, he urged however, that is an appeal that will not bare any fruit as the NEC Chairman retired Judge Lubuva said, the Commission will only consider people who went to the registration centres but missed the chance to register on the last day of registration and no one else.
Elsewhere in the country, residents are also making similar appeals for the registration process to be extended.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN