SANF 05 No 117
Election observers deployed for the 14 December polls in the United Republic of Tanzania have praised the conduct of the elections and the voters.
The African Union said the elections were conducted efficiently in a secure environment, polling stations opened and closed on time and materials were available, and there was good cooperation between polling officials and party agents.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission (SEOM) also praised the conduct of the elections, saying the process was conducted “meticulously and lawfully”.
SEOM praised the “high sense of gender equity and youth representation in the electoral process”, and said there was a peaceful atmosphere and a high level of political tolerance.
Overall, the SADC delegation, headed by a Namibian member of parliament, John Pandeni, said the elections were “peaceful, free, transparent, credible and professionally managed” and “reflected the will of the people”.
The AU said the elections were conducted in line with the regulations, and consensus was built on many decisions. Other major points included the high turnout of voters, especially women, and respect for the secrecy of the ballot.
Baleka Mbete, who is the Speaker of the National Assembly in South Africa and a member of the Pan-African Parliament, headed the AU delegation and congratulated all stakeholders for their respective roles in the process.
She said in the areas covered by the AU observers there were no incidences of “party agents disagreeing with the outcome of the counting and verification of the ballots and number of votes.”
Mbete said the AU findings were that the elections were conducted efficiently in a secure environment, thanks to the police presence at all polling stations. No one felt intimidated by the police officers’ presence either, she said, as they had conducted themselves in a professional manner.
She added that the high turnout of voters was a surprise to observers. “We could not believe our eyes.”
“Overall, the elections were free and fair,” the AU mission said, citing “a few small problems that need to be rectified in future elections.”
The AU specified the problem of some voters not finding their names on lists posted outside the polling stations. She said this problem was noted at most polling stations, but also advised voters that they should have made every effort to check the lists as soon as they were posted on 6 December.
SADC noted that the Constitution should be available to observers in English, that law enforcement agencies should not help to organise voting queues, use of indelible ink should be standardised (dipping or painting the nail), and the voters roll should be released timeously and checked carefully.
Both missions urged all political parties and individuals to respect the will of the people and accept the outcome of the process, and reminded that all concerns should be addressed in line with the laws of the country.
“The AU Observer Team would also like to call upon all political stakeholders and peace-loving Tanzanians to accept and respect the outcome of the elections, since they are a culmination of the democratic process which is a reflection of the political will of the Tanzanian people.”
Mbete urged the winners not to gloat over their victory and losers to be “honourable enough to accept the loss and give congratulating hand to the winners.”
