Tanzania opposition insists cadres will 'guard' votes

Tanzanian opposition presidential candidate Edward Lowassa over the weekend added his voice on the vote ‘guarding’ controversy, telling thousands of his supporters in southern city of Mbeya to ensure they did not let sight of the polling stations lest their “victory is stolen.”

Mr Lowassa, who was on a four-day campaign trail of the vote-rich Mbeya region with more than 1.3 million registered voters, ended with a mammoth rally at the Ruanda Nzovwe grounds with a rallying call for the supporters to vote for him in large numbers on October 25 to defeat the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

His comment on the saga on whether voters should cast their ballots and leave for their respective homes to await the counting and release of the results was the first since the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and President Jakaya Kikwete issued warnings against the plan to have people remain behind the stations after voting.

The Chadema candidate, who with Dr John Magufuli of CCM are the front runners in what is shaping into a hotly contested race, yesterday said his supporters should remain behind until the end.

“Firstly go and vote for me in en masse so that in the event they resolve to steal they would not match our numbers. Secondly, don't take things for granted and as [Chadema national chairman Freeman] Mbowe has constantly been telling you stand firm 200 meters away from the polling station to wait announcement of the results,” Mr Lowassa said amid cheers from the multitude of people listening.

Court interpretation

Last week NEC issued a statement directing people to leave the stations after voting while President Kikwete warmed the government would deal firmly with those who will choose to remain behind purportedly to guard their votes. Speaking in Dodoma, the president said it was the party agents who will be responsible to watch over their candidates' votes.

However the opposition leaders have insisted the orders by both NEC and President Kikwete were illegal. They have accused the president of interfering with the work of the polls body. Chadema officials claim CCM has in the past used loopholes in the NEC systems to rig the elections and perpetuate its stronghold on power.

At the Mbeya rally, Mr Mbowe stood his ground and rallied the opposition supporters to ensure they did not leave the voting centres unguarded. He reiterated that the law was firmly on their side.
The party has also taken the matter to court, filing an urgent constitutional petition to give an interpretation of the election law requirement on the distance between the voters and the polling stations.

Mr Lowassa who defected from CCM to run for the presidency on an opposition ticket repeated ills he said have been committed by the government, but hastened to say he would not target any individuals. He pointed to ivory smuggling, illegal export of wildlife and theft of public funds.

Mr Lowassa's campaign entourage had brought business to a standstill amid heavy traffic in Mbeya city. The crowd poured up the Tanzania-Zambia highway which passes nearby and caused traffic. Scores of youth mopped the highway into the city in honour of the candidate.