The Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) presidential candidate, Mr Maximmilian Lyimo
What you need to know:
The Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) presidential candidate, Mr Maximmilian Lyimo has failed to cast his ballot after he found himself without a voting card – a must have document before one is allowed to vote.
Vunjo. He went campaigning in several regions asking people to vote for him. Some will vote for him today, but he will not be able to vote for himself.
The Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) presidential candidate, Mr Maximmilian Lyimo has failed to cast his ballot after he found himself without a voting card – a must have document before one is allowed to vote.
At the same time, situation was tense in Vunjo Vunjo constituency after three polling supervisors were beaten by wananchi.
Mr Lyimo arrived at Ghala Njipanda polling station at around 8.30am and he was asked to fill a special form for presidential candidates who would like to vote in a different centre from which they had registered.
After filling the forms, he was asked for the voter card and he realised that he has not carried it. The assistant election supervisors at the station, Mr Aliko Mkumbo, told him that there was no way he was going to allow him to vote if he doesn’t have the voter registration card.
Mr Lyimo did not object and left the polling station. He told reporters that he was going to look for the document.
“The polling officer is correct. I was to fill the forms but because I don’t have the voter card it was not possible for me to vote. Let me go and look for my card and I will come later to vote,” he said.
At the same time, three officers were beaten by people who suspected them of transporting boxes stashed with fake ballots. Police had to use tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd and save the polling officers.
The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Fulgence Ngonyani, said the officers were earlier arrested and sent to Himo Police station.
“After the reports got out people started to gather outside the police station. When they were asked to disperse they refused and that is why we were forced to use tear gas to disperse them,” he said.
Rival Parliamentary candidates, Mr Augustine Mrema of TLP and Mr James Mbatia of NCCR-Mageuzi were also at the police station to follow the incident.
