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NEC starts receiving objection appeals
By Dominic Nkolimwa
23rd August 2010
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NEC Director of Elections Rajab Kiravu
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) today starts to receive appeals on objections filed against some contestants in the October general election.
Speaking to The Guardian by telephone yesterday NEC Director of Elections Rajab Kiravu said according to the law all objections were supposed to be resolved by returning officers at the district level, but if the applicants not satisfied, they had the right to appeal to NEC.
My office starts today to receive appeals for review where any of the parties is not satisfied with the decisions of the returning officers, Kiravu said.
He noted that both parties had the right to appeal if they were dissatisfied with decisions made by the returning officers at district level.
He, however, called upon the parties intending to file appeals to NEC to do as soon as is practicable so that they could be resolved to allow cleared contestants to proceed with their campaigns peacefully.
NEC chairman Judge Lewis Makame said although the law did not bar anyone from filing appeals against the objections, a person intending to appeal must show the intention of doing so to the responsible returning officer within 24 hours after the objection.
In Dodoma reports said two Bahi parliamentary candidates, Melkzedek Lesaka (SAU) and Eva Habel Kaka (CUF) have filed an appeal to NEC against the ruling made by Bahi district returning officer Frank Ernest.The appeals will be presented to NEC today by Ernest.
The two decided to appeal after Ernest riled in favour of the objection raised by the CCM parliamentary candidate Badwel Omar, that the signatures of the guarantors were forged.
The contestants, who are alleged to have forged the signatures of the guarantors are Habel Kaka, Lesaka and Miriam Kimboi (UPDP).
They said the returning officer had not been fair to them because the signatures of their guarantors was genuine.
Meanwhile, the objections raised against some contestants including Mohamed Dewji in Singida Urban Constituency CCM and Dr Hamis Kigwangala, who is contesting for Nzega in Tabora and Freeman Mbowe for Hai Constituency through Chadema, have been abandoned.
On Friday last week, NEC confirmed that more than 10 parliamentary candidates were at risk of being axed from the election race following objections raised against them by fellow candidates.
Those whose bid to enter the race awaited NEC ruling included three vying for the Ukerewe seat in Mwanza Region, whose candidature is contested by outgoing Ukerewe MP Gertrude Mongela.
They are Salvatory Naluyaga Machemli (Chadema), Japani Joctan Kulwijila (CUF) and Joramu Chalanga Kajeli (NCCR-Mageuzi).
In Bahi Constituency in Dodoma Region, a CCM candidate, Badwel Omar, had raised objection against three opposition candidates - Miriam Kimboi (UPDP),
Melkzedek Lesaka (SAU) and Eva Habel Kaka (CUF).The SAU candidate in turn raised an objection, questioning Badwels citizenship.
Mongela tabled her objection before Ukerewe returning officer Dr Leonard Masale stating that the three opposition party candidates had been nominated to contest for the seat through a procedure that was against the electoral law.
The first contestant to lodge the objection was CUFs Kizwalo Dominic Clement, followed by Chademas John Massanja Mezza.
In Hai, Moshi, CCM candidate Fuya Kimbita filed an objection claiming the Chadema national chairman had not paid government tax amounting to 48m/- from the operations of his hotel known as Aishi Protea Hotel in Machame District.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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