Tanzania’s electoral body to meet political parties this week over voters’ register update

Dar es Salaam. The National Electoral Commission (Nec) announced on Monday, April 06, 2020 that it will meet with leaders of political parties and other key election stakeholders on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.

This comes as the country prepares to go to the polls in October this year.

NEC chairman, Judge (rtd) Semistocles Kaijage told The Citizen on Monday, April 06, 2020 that the Dar es Salaam meeting will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the second phase of updating the voters’ register which commences on April 17, 2020.

He said his office will soon issue a timetable for the second phase of updating the voters’ register.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told the Parliament in Dodoma last week that the second phase of updating the document would start on April 5, 2020 and be concluded on June 20, this year.

However, Judge Kaijage said April 17, 2020 was the date set during the first stakeholders’ meeting which was held in Dar es Salaam on March 23, 2020.

“No changes have been made on the date to commence the exercise. The exercise will start on April 17, 2020 as announced,” he insisted.

The first meeting of stakeholders was also informed that on April 17, 2020, the register – which has been updated during the first phase - will be made public for public verifications.

The commission also revealed that a total of 7,043,247 people have been registered during the first phase which is equivalent to 30.41 percent of voters registered in 2015.

"A least 3,225,778 voters, which is equal to 13.93 percent of voters who registered in 2015, had actually updated their information during the first phase,” Judge Kaijage told stakeholders.

A total of 16,707 voters who registered in the 2015 were removed from the register due to a number of reasons, including death.

He said after the first phase of updating the document, eligible voters now stands at 30,187,987.