The Kenya Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs) from Tanzania, East, and Southern Africa, says it will monitor Tanzania’s October general election mostly virtually.
It was learnt that the group, known as Tanzanian Election Watch Panel, said it will observe election organisation and preparations through field poll monitors without necessarily travelling to the country due to what is referred to as ‘political difficulties’.
Development Diaries gathered that the panel is an alternative independent oversight body that comprises leading pan-Africanists, human rights defenders, and media professionals.
The team monitoring the poll includes prominent judges such as former Chief Justice in Kenya, Willy Mutunga, and Uganda’s constitutional review commission chairman, Prof. Fredrick Ssempebwa.
Ssempebwa, who is the chairperson of the panel, said that economic integration had made the Tanzanian poll an issue of major interest.
He called for respect for human rights, freedom of speech, movement, and assembly.
However, The Director of Elections at the Tanzania National Electoral Commission (NEC), Wilson Charles, noted that although several international observers have been invited to oversee the poll, his office was not sure whether the new panel was among the accredited institutions.
Charles said, ‘I am attending a meeting; therefore, it is difficult to remember if they are among those approved. I will be in a position to comment after I have read details on the panel’.
Source: The East African
Photo source: Commonwealth Secretariat
