Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday advised Tanzanian National Electoral Commission, political parties and the civil society is the country to ensure a peaceful and transparent election, adding that only a credible voting process could confer legitimacy on a democratic government.
Jonathan stated this yesterday in Dar es Salaam during his arrival press briefing as the chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) to Tanzania’s October 25 general election.
The former president who was flanked by other members of the COG drawn from different parts of the Commonwealth stressed that “success of these elections depends on every stakeholder playing their part in a peaceful, inclusive and transparent manner,” adding that the Commonwealth had “every confidence in the people of Tanzania to achieve that.”
He added that: “During our time in Tanzania, we will seek to assess the pre-election environment, polling day activities and the post-election period, against the backdrop of Tanzania’s national legislation, regional and international commitments.
“We will perform our observation role with impartiality, independence and transparency. On Friday 23 October, members of the Group will deploy in small teams to various provinces across the country to observe preparations ahead of polling day. On Election Day, they will observe opening, voting, closing, counting and the results management process.
“We will issue an interim statement on our preliminary findings shortly after the elections. A final report will be prepared in Tanzania. It will be submitted to the Secretary-General, and subsequently shared with relevant stakeholders and the public. The group is scheduled to depart Tanzania on October 31.”
Speaking further, Jonathan said he was “greatly honoured and privileged to have been asked by Commonwealth Secretary-General, H.E. Kamalesh Sharma, to lead the Commonwealth Observer Group to Tanzania’s general election scheduled for October 25, 2015.
“The group was constituted following an invitation extended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania.
“Our group comprises 14 eminent persons drawn from across different regions of the Commonwealth, including Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The group, which includes experts in politics, elections, media, conflict prevention and youth affairs, arrived yesterday and will stay in Tanzania until 31 October 2015.”
He described the election as significant for the people of Tanzania, adding that the presence of the of the COG “affirms the Commonwealth’s support for the country and its democratic processes.
“The group began its briefings today and expects to meet with a wide range of stakeholders including the National Electoral Commission, political parties, civil society organisations, the diplomatic community, and other international and local observer groups.”
