Magufuli reiterates free election pledge

 Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli reiterated yesterday that the October 2020 General Election will be free and fair. Moving a speech to dissolve the Parliament ahead of the elections in Dodoma, Dr Magufuli who will seek re-election for another five-year term said his administration will ensure that the elections were free and fair.

“We are prepared to ensure that the elections are free and fair for all par-ties and this is what true democracy is all about,” said President Magufuli, asking his fellow politicians to prepare for the polls.

The aspirants, he said, must refrain from hurling insults during campaigns, warning that conducting elections was not an indication that there was no government.

“We are all one. We must compete through arguments. Anyone who will want to bring chaos should understand that the government is there,” he said.

The assurance comes amid memories of the 2019 local elections, which were labelled as ‘irregular and lacking credibility’ by some development partners, particularly, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The two countries expressed concern over the elections, which saw the ruling party winning 99 percent of contested seats.

The opposition boycotted the elections, citing irregularities, violence and intimidation.

Chadema refused to take part, saying its candidates were fearful or unfairly disqualified from running.

The US and the UK said the government’s refusal to provide accreditation to respected election monitors ahead of the polls eroded confidence in the outcome.

“This troubling development calls into question the credibility of the election process and results,” the US embassy in Tanzania said in a statement.

The British high commissioner to Tanzania, Ms Sarah Cooke, said in a statement that the “coordinated” disqualification of opposition candidates contributed towards the voters being denied their right to choose their own leaders freely and fairly.

Addressing the 43rd United Nations Council on human rights in Geneva, Switzerland in February, this year, the minister for Foreign Affairs and Inter-national Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, said the October 2020 General Election will be free and fair.

He assured the international community that Tanzania would invite external observers during the election.

“Tanzania will continue to ensure that principles and values of human beings are protected,” said the minister in a statement sent to the media by the ministry.