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Tanzania opposition cautions as Electoral Commission

What you need to know:

Opposition parties have cautiously welcomed the job advert posted on NEC website, saying some set qualifications were too technical for the advertised jobs

Dar es Salaam. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) yesterday announced temporal jobs for upgrading of the Permanent Voter Register (PVR) ahead of civic elections slated for November this year.

According to the announcement posted on NEC website and sent to media houses, Tanzania of between 18 and 45 years are eligible to apply for the posts. Computer literates with an Ordinary Certificate of Secondary Education and above also qualifies to apply for the job.

“Applicants should be capable of detecting and fixing software and hardware problems in a computer,” read part of the advert which also sets condition for applicant to be able to install computer programmes and offer ICT support to users.

However, NEC advert did not state specific number of people needed to do the job across the country.

The main opposition, Chadema, says it has received the announcement cautiously, and urged the electoral body to publish the advert in all mainstream media with which can be accessible in villages so that every Tanzanian read it.

Chadema’s director of protocol, communications and parliamentary affairs Mr John Mrema said some qualifications for applying the jobs were ‘too technical’ compared to the kind of job the applicants were going to do. “Some qualifications which they (NEC) have set is like they have already prepared their people to do the job. That applicants must be able to fix software and hardware problems in a computer is too complex a qualification for the job they will be asked to do,” queried Mr Mrema.

Mr Mrema asked NEC to use the opportunity to appoint new returning officers for coming elections who will start operations with the updated PVR after a recent High Court decision barred town, city and municipal directors from coordinating and supervising local government elections.

“We urge qualified Tanzanians to come out and apply for the jobs although the deadline for application is too short as if they only target people from Dar es Salaam,” he said.

The ruling CCM has welcomed the advertisement, saying it was yet another proof that the government was committed to promotion of democratic elections.

“We are happy because the CCM-led government is demonstrating in actions how it was promoting democracy in Tanzania,” said CCM’s Political and Foreign Relations secretary, Colonel (rtd) Ngemela Lubinga.

He said NEC’s move should serve as a walk-up call to other institution dealing with elections to start necessary preparations.

Civic United Front (Cuf) secretary general, Khalifa Khalifa, his party viewed the advert as a positive move and they were consulting on how best they will participate in the exercise.

“It is good that this time the advert is open for everyone to apply, it is not a clandestine exercise,” he said.

According to NEC advert, applicants who had dealt with the Biometric Voter Register (BVR) kits during the updating of the PVR in 2015 and holders of a degree in ICT will be prioritised.