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- Feb 20, 2014
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A 55-member EAC Elections Observer Mission is due to arrive in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania this Sunday to observe the General Elections slated for October 25, 2015 in both the Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
The EAC Mission is a response to the invitation of the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania as well as the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers Decisions on observation of elections in the Partner States.
The Mission's mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results. The Mission, which is being led by Awori Arthur Athansius Moody, former Vice President of Kenya, will first undergo a pre-deployment training from 19 to 21 October 2015 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania before deploying to the regions.
The Mission is preceded by a pre-elections assessment team that was deployed from 4 October to assess the level of preparedness by key stakeholders and prepare a report that will inform the Short Term Election Observation Mission.
Officials said the members of the EAC Election Observer Mission have been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and include, members of the East African Legislative Assembly as well as Members of National Assemblies from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, National Electoral Commissions, National Human Rights Commissions, Civil society organizations, and youth representatives from EAC Youth Ambassadors Forum.
"The exclusion of members from the United Republic of Tanzania is consistent with the adopted practice on the Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation which precludes nationals of the host country from participating as Election Observations in their own countries," said EAC in a statement on Tuesday.
Commenting ahead of the deployment, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge says the Mission is being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (Treaty) which requires "…adherence to universally acceptable principles of democratic governance and in line with the EAC Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General asserts that "as the region moves deeper in the integration process with the ultimate goal of having a Political Federation, EAC Partner States need to standardize their governance practices and should take keen interest in each other's' political and electoral processes".
Mr. Njoroge contends that successful and peaceful elections in Tanzania is of paramount importance to the Partner States and the region as a whole because lack of peace and stability in any Partner State will definitely undermine the outstanding milestones the region has so far achieved through regional integration.
"Therefore we expect a successful mission and we very much hope that they will further strengthen the democratic process and advance development in the region."
The Mission is expected to prepare a Report that will be submitted to, among others, the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania, through the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration and implementation. The Mission will leave Tanzania on 29 October 2015.
Unpredictable
The Tanzanian general election of 2015 will be the 5th quinquennial election to be held since the restoration of multi-party system in 1992. Voters will elect the President, Members of Parliament and local government councillors.
By convention, the election is held on the last Sunday of October and will be supervised by the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Political campaigns commenced on 22 August and will cease a day before the polling day.
The incumbent president, Jakaya Kikwete, is ineligible to be elected to a third term due to term limits.
The country's dominant ruling party, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) selected Works Minister John Magufuli as its presidential nominee; instead of the front-runner former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa.
After failing to secure the ruling party's nomination, Lowassa defected to an opposition party that once labelled him as "one of the most corrupt figures in Tanzanian society." This year's election is the most competitive and unpredictable in the nation's history.
The EAC Mission is a response to the invitation of the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania as well as the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers Decisions on observation of elections in the Partner States.
The Mission's mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results. The Mission, which is being led by Awori Arthur Athansius Moody, former Vice President of Kenya, will first undergo a pre-deployment training from 19 to 21 October 2015 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania before deploying to the regions.
The Mission is preceded by a pre-elections assessment team that was deployed from 4 October to assess the level of preparedness by key stakeholders and prepare a report that will inform the Short Term Election Observation Mission.
Officials said the members of the EAC Election Observer Mission have been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and include, members of the East African Legislative Assembly as well as Members of National Assemblies from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, National Electoral Commissions, National Human Rights Commissions, Civil society organizations, and youth representatives from EAC Youth Ambassadors Forum.
"The exclusion of members from the United Republic of Tanzania is consistent with the adopted practice on the Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation which precludes nationals of the host country from participating as Election Observations in their own countries," said EAC in a statement on Tuesday.
Commenting ahead of the deployment, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge says the Mission is being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (Treaty) which requires "…adherence to universally acceptable principles of democratic governance and in line with the EAC Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General asserts that "as the region moves deeper in the integration process with the ultimate goal of having a Political Federation, EAC Partner States need to standardize their governance practices and should take keen interest in each other's' political and electoral processes".
Mr. Njoroge contends that successful and peaceful elections in Tanzania is of paramount importance to the Partner States and the region as a whole because lack of peace and stability in any Partner State will definitely undermine the outstanding milestones the region has so far achieved through regional integration.
"Therefore we expect a successful mission and we very much hope that they will further strengthen the democratic process and advance development in the region."
The Mission is expected to prepare a Report that will be submitted to, among others, the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania, through the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration and implementation. The Mission will leave Tanzania on 29 October 2015.
Unpredictable
The Tanzanian general election of 2015 will be the 5th quinquennial election to be held since the restoration of multi-party system in 1992. Voters will elect the President, Members of Parliament and local government councillors.
By convention, the election is held on the last Sunday of October and will be supervised by the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Political campaigns commenced on 22 August and will cease a day before the polling day.
The incumbent president, Jakaya Kikwete, is ineligible to be elected to a third term due to term limits.
The country's dominant ruling party, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) selected Works Minister John Magufuli as its presidential nominee; instead of the front-runner former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa.
After failing to secure the ruling party's nomination, Lowassa defected to an opposition party that once labelled him as "one of the most corrupt figures in Tanzanian society." This year's election is the most competitive and unpredictable in the nation's history.
