NEC extended the deadline for registration of voters through Biometric Voter Register in Dar es Salaam which ended on July 31 to August 4, this year so as to accommodate people who were yet to be registered.
Despite the opportunity to allow more eligible voters to register some registration clerks threatened to boycott the process unless they were paid their outstanding allowances.
Speaking to the Guardian yesterday by telephone NEC chairman (rtd) Judge Damian Lubuva admitted that the commission was yet to pay the clerks for the additional four days.
“It is true that we have not paid the clerks for the extended days during the process because there was no budget set aside. However, were are going to settle the payments before the process was over,” Lubuva said.He said the process of registering voters in Dar es Salaam was scheduled to be conducted for ten days but following the public outcry over some hitches, NEC was forced to extend it for four days.
“The complaints raised from registration agents over unpaid allowances are true but it was because of the extension of more four days. Our budget for the exercise countrywide ended on July 31,” he explained.
According to Lubuva, NEC had discussions with the regional commissioner, district commissioners and municipal directors on how to clear the debt as soon as possible.
Some of the areas that faced the boycott by the registration clerks due to lack of payments included Marambamawili and Umoja primary school centre in Kinondoni District.
The clerks refused to work for one hour to put pressure to be paid for five days allowances.
One clerk at Marambamawili who did not want to mention her name said that the three clerks who refused to work were called by ward executive officer to discuss the matter.
She explained that complaints over clerk payments were also similar to other registration centres.
“There are some other centres where they face the same problems of payments
like us too,” he said.
Prior to that, Lubuva said the commission had already sent the registration book to thirteen regions to be displayed to the public.
He said the aim of the display was to allow the residents of areas to verify their particulars if were correct.
“The main issue around of which most of the people have yet to understand is that the verification exercise will help them get to know if their particulars in the book are correct but at the same time identify those who are illegally registered,” he stressed.
He pointed out that the exercise would also ease the aspirants’ efforts at a time of seeking signatures.
Lubuva further stressed that they will not repeat the exercise in the areas that were once used as pilot projects as everybody was given an opportunity to participate.
The areas that were conducted as pilot studies were in Dar es Salaam (Kawe constituency), Katavi (Mlele constituency) and Morogoro (Kilombero constituency).
“There is no law in the country that forces someone to vote. NEC had made sure that each resident was given the opportunity to register so we believe that we never left anyone out,” he said.
When reached for comment to detail the expenses used in the exercise countrywide, number of registration officers and how much was each paid as allowances, NEC’s director of elections, Kailima Kombwey said he was out the office for a meeting and would contact the reporter later.
He later said sent a text message saying that he needs more time to cross check before giving the details out.
Last week on Thursday, NEC gave the Dar es Salaam residents four more days from August 1 to 4 to register for the October 25 General Election as the scheduled ten -days period ended on July 3.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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