Junius
JF-Expert Member
- Mar 11, 2009
- 3,181
- 139
ISSA YUSSUF,
There will be no by-election to fill the vacant Wawi constituency seat, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) director Mr Salum Ali said yesterday. Mr Ali spoke to the 'Daily News' in Zanzibar while supervising the transfer of election materials from the headquarters in Unguja to Pemba Island for updating the Permanent Voters Register. He said the decision was made according to section 45 (1) (b) of the 1984 Zanzibar Election laws (as amended in 2004), adding that the remaining period was insufficient for a by-election.
He said that conducting a by-election would contravene the law which states that candidate nomination should be made in a period of not less than four months after a seat is declared vacant, while a by-election should be held in a period not exceeding 25 months. Wawi Constituency fell vacant following the death of its representative , the late Soud Yussuf Mgeni at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam last Friday. Mr Ali said that the focus would now be on preparations for the general elections, adding that equipment such as computers and cameras were being moved to Pemba Island for updating the permanent voters register.
The registration of new voters and updating of the voters register will be done throughout Zanzibar. After the Magogoni by-election last week, we have decided to continue working in Pemba before returning to Unguja, he said and appealed to Zanzibaris for calm, tolerance, and maximum cooperation during the exercise. He said that registration of new voters and updating of the register would probably end in May next year and every eligible voter should register or update their particulars.
ZEC is targeting about 500,000 voters for the 2010 elections which will elect a new president as the incumbent President Amani Abeid Karumes constitutional term expires next year. Meanwhile ZEC has thanked all election stakeholders, political parties, the media, security forces, and the people for showing political maturity by conducting non-violent campaigns, voting, counting and finally declaring the winner of the just ended Magogoni by -election. The conduct in a democratic process has impressed many including our guests who came to observe the by-election, a ZEC press statement said.
There will be no by-election to fill the vacant Wawi constituency seat, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) director Mr Salum Ali said yesterday. Mr Ali spoke to the 'Daily News' in Zanzibar while supervising the transfer of election materials from the headquarters in Unguja to Pemba Island for updating the Permanent Voters Register. He said the decision was made according to section 45 (1) (b) of the 1984 Zanzibar Election laws (as amended in 2004), adding that the remaining period was insufficient for a by-election.
He said that conducting a by-election would contravene the law which states that candidate nomination should be made in a period of not less than four months after a seat is declared vacant, while a by-election should be held in a period not exceeding 25 months. Wawi Constituency fell vacant following the death of its representative , the late Soud Yussuf Mgeni at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam last Friday. Mr Ali said that the focus would now be on preparations for the general elections, adding that equipment such as computers and cameras were being moved to Pemba Island for updating the permanent voters register.
The registration of new voters and updating of the voters register will be done throughout Zanzibar. After the Magogoni by-election last week, we have decided to continue working in Pemba before returning to Unguja, he said and appealed to Zanzibaris for calm, tolerance, and maximum cooperation during the exercise. He said that registration of new voters and updating of the register would probably end in May next year and every eligible voter should register or update their particulars.
ZEC is targeting about 500,000 voters for the 2010 elections which will elect a new president as the incumbent President Amani Abeid Karumes constitutional term expires next year. Meanwhile ZEC has thanked all election stakeholders, political parties, the media, security forces, and the people for showing political maturity by conducting non-violent campaigns, voting, counting and finally declaring the winner of the just ended Magogoni by -election. The conduct in a democratic process has impressed many including our guests who came to observe the by-election, a ZEC press statement said.
