By Daniel Itai.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Yesterday the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) issued out inquisitive statements pertaining to the recent municipal Tanzanian elections which were held on Sunday.
Sunday’s municipal polls were boycotted by eight major opposition parties who cited an early manipulation of the elections by the government.
The ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) won 99.9 percent of the seats contested, which include more than 16 000 key positions in the running of villages, towns and cities across the country.
A statement from the USA and UK embassies said election officials overwhelmingly disqualified opposition candidates rather than CCM candidates.
They also decried the government’s refusal to give accreditation to election observers. The embassies said these irregularities cast questions over the credibility of the poll.
The British high commissioner to Tanzania, Sarah Cooke said, “the coordinated disqualification of opposition candidates contributed towards the voters being denied their right to choose their own leaders freely and fairly.”
However, Hassan Abbas the government’s spokesperson said the government was going to take necessary measures to curb the negative statements that were said by the Americans and the British as well as local media.
“For this matter, the government has done enough explaining, given enough warnings and enough pardons. Now we will take stern legal measures,” said Abbas.
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