Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
- 219,470
- 911,173
Issue 00635
September 25 - 30, 2010
issn 0856 - 9135
Front Page 1
Protest as Municipal Director is transferred Registrar allays fears, says no foul play is possible By Staff Writer
Members of political parties whose candidates are contesting for the Arusha-Urban parliamentary seat have expressed concern over the sudden transfer of the constituencys returning officer, also municipal director, Mr Raphael Mbunda to Kigoma.
Mr Mbunda who has been the Municipal Director for Arusha since 2007, is reported to have received an official transfer summon to report to Kigoma where he is expected to serve as human resource personnel, which is essentially a demotion, from his previous position as the Arusha City Director.
The Acting Regional Administrative Secretary Mr Jackson Saitabau confirmed the transfer of Mr Mbunda from Arusha but was not in position to comment about the sudden move or claims that the returning officer was summoned with a 24-hour notice to report at his new office.
But the opposition is up in arms against this sudden development.
We smell foul play here, because Mr Mbunda was a very fair person and treated all parties equally and with respect, the ruling party must have had a hand in his transfer because the returning officer would not have obliged to rigging, said Mr Godbless Lema who runs for parliament under the CHADEMA ticket.
Mr Samson Mwigamba who is the regional chairman for CHADEMA said
Mbundas transfer was a clear indication that the general elections in
Arusha town will neither be free nor fair. said Mr Lema.
The Tanzania Labor Party candidate Mr Maximillian Lyimo said his party was shocked by the sudden transfer of the constituencys returning officer; And it is against electoral regulations which puts it clear that you cannot fire or transfer such an important person in the election process unless it is on emergency, said Mr Lyimo.
The TLP candidate suspects that some influential persons were pulling the strings in the constituencys electoral process.
TLP will not protest (yet) but as far as its candidate is concerned they had planned to meet the regional commissioner Mr Isidori Shirima over the issue after which we will then be in better position to decide the steps we are going to take!
But Mr Michael Kivuyo one of the top officials here with TLP said the opposition in Arusha is not going to take the issue lightly.
The CCM District Secretary Mr Salum Mpamba on the other hand said he was yet to be informed about the local returning officers transfer but as far as he was concerned if authorities decided to take him out of Arusha, it was fine with him.
The Political Party Registrar Mr John Tendwa, who was in Arusha this week commented
on the same case in which the Returning Officer for Arusha-Urban Mr Raphael Mbunda
was unceremoniously transferred.
Those are normal government procedures to shift executives from one place of work
to another. I dont see it interfering with electoral processes, besides there are clear guidelines that councils officials have to adhere to, during elections leaving little room for foul play, said Mr Tendwa.
The registrar said that was among the issues raised during his meeting with political parties representatives in Arusha; But I explained to them and they seemed to understand, He said.
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