Tanzania's lobbies oppose use of public servants as poll supervisors

Pressure groups in Tanzania are pushing the National Electoral Commission to drop district directors and other public servants from election supervision duties.

Leaders of political parties, civil society, religious groups, and lawyers lobby said public servants, mainly district executive directors, town directors, municipal directors, city directors, ward executives, and teachers, should not serve as returning officers in civic and general elections.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) told the government to present a bill when parliament resumes sessions in February to govern this year’s local government elections.

“We propose that the Electoral Commission hire its own staff from the ward, district, regional, and national levels,” LHRC executive Director Anna Henga said.

The ACT Wazalendo chairman Zitto Kabwe added his voice to the debate, saying the electoral body should hire its own staff to conduct the elections. They were speaking at a forum organised by the Council of Tanzania Political Parties in Dar es Salaam to seek public opinions on election-related Bills introduced by Parliament in November last year.

The Bills are the National Electoral Commission Bill 2023, the Political Parties Affairs Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023, and the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Bill 2023.

And on Thursday, Chadema secretary-general John Mnyika said that his party also stands against the administration of elections by government servants. District council directors are appointed by the president, who is also the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party leader and a candidate in the presidential contest.

Mr Mnyika said Tanzania needs an “independent electoral commission” that would manage elections without interference from the government.

Civic United Front (CUF) chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, while expressing his opposition to the use of public servants in the electoral process, alleged that in the 2020 polls, council directors were directed to ensure that the ruling CCM party won.

“We have gone through a period where politicians will tell district council directors that ‘if I give you fuel and a salary, make sure that my party doesn’t lose the election,” Prof Lipumba said.

Veteran politician John Cheyo wants the electoral commission to have independent staff across the cadres.

Mr Cheyo recalled incidents in the 2020 election, where council directors employed underhand tactics to disqualify or disadvantage opposition candidates.