Registrar warns parties terrorising electorate

POLITICAL Parties Registrar Justice Francis Mutungi has warned political parties and their candidates against instilling fear into the minds of voters about election rigging.

He said here that the responsibility of protecting the votes which is legalised by the law will be made by the police in collaboration with the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

He urged all political parties to withdraw the negative concept of election rigging, which he said brought various problems created by the political parties’ security groups. “The police force and the NEC have the legal responsibility to protect the votes until the election results will be announced.

People should not be made that if political parties’ security groups will not protect the votes they will be stolen,” Justice Mutungi said. In another development, the registrar said some political parties which have formed their own security groups and given them training similar to that of the armed forces violate the Constitution of Republic of Tanzania.

“Parties forming such kind of groups, although some groups exist according to constitutions of their parties, are violating article 147 of the Constitution of Tanzania. Article 147 of the country’s law of the land stipulates that the sole authority of establishing defence forces is the government alone,” Justice Mutungi said, adding, “No any political party, person or group of people that has such authority, except the government itself.”

He said people or any party which will establish a security group similar to that of the armed forces, it will be invalid even if it is allowed by their parties’ policy and constitutions. The office of Registrar of Political Parties has already given clarification on the matter to all political parties.

He urged the people and leaders of political parties to adhere to the law, giving an example of what happened to neighbouring countries such as DR Congo and Burundi where parties formed security groups.

“Our neighbouring countries have suffered the same consequences after they had formed the same groups,” he said. He warned political parties preaching policies of bloodshed which can cause low voter turnout during Election Day.

“This will lead to few people going to polling stations,” he said. He urged the government to ensure that it enhances civic education to both primary and secondary schools across the country in order to create awareness to their people.