EAC flags off observer mission for Tanzania polls

The East African Community (EAC) yesterday flagged off its election observer mission in Tanzania's business capital ahead of the country's October 28 general elections.

Former Burundian president Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, who heads the observer mission, said the objective of the mission is to contribute to strengthening accountability among political actors and the government of Tanzania for pluralistic, free, fair, just and peaceful and democratic elections. 

It will also be an opportunity for other EAC member states to share their experiences on election management, he said. 

Ntibantunganya said the mission intends to play a supporting role to the various protagonists engaged in the electoral process of Tanzania and to strengthen through its observation the credibility of the elections and increase the confidence of the various stakeholders across the entire electoral process.

He said the 59 observers will be deployed in Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Lindi, Mtwara, Dodoma, Mbeya, Kigoma, Singida, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Mwanza regions and Zanzibar's twin Islands of Pemba and Unguja.  

The mission will make a preliminary statement on its observation on Friday, October 30, Ntibantunganya said.