Commissioners of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) from two political parties have declined to comment on the allegedly unilateral and unconstitutional decision made by their boss to annul general elections results on Tuesday, the second day of vote counting exercise.
They include former Home Affairs Minister Omar Ramadhan Mapuri from Chama cha Mapunduzi (CCM), Chief Secretary of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (SMZ) Salmin Senga and Haji Ramadhan of Sauti ya Umma (SAU).
Speaking in separate occasions yesterday, the commissioners were united in sticking to their stance not to go public in commenting their boss, Chairman Jecha Salim Jecha’s decision to declare elections null and void.
“I cannot say anything about what has been announced by the ZEC chairman as he is the only one who can provide explanation on the decision because and he is the spokesperson of the commission,” said Ramadhani.
Commissioner Salmin Senga could not confirm or deny if the controversial decision had blessings of other ZEC members.
But two commissioners from CUF Ayoub Bakar and Nassor Khamis Mohamed said their boss had neither legal grounds nor fundamental reasons to cancel the results and demanded that he should withdraw the decision.
Ayub said the announcement met him off-guard as he and other commission members were in the hall waiting for their chairman to announce the counting updates that they could continue working with the results from other constituencies when Jecha revealed the bombshell.
He said the move was in violation of Sections 119(1) and 119 (10) of Zanzibar Constitution that requires a meeting and consent of all members of the commission in passing such a decision.
However, Jecha had justified his decision by citing nine motives, including multiple voting, excessive number of voters as compared to those who had registered and counting of votes outside the polling stations.
But critiques say he had cooked up the motives in the absence of documentary evidence to prove his case.
Speaking in separate occasions yesterday, the commissioners were united in sticking to their stance not to go public in commenting their boss, Chairman Jecha Salim Jecha’s decision to declare elections null and void.
“I cannot say anything about what has been announced by the ZEC chairman as he is the only one who can provide explanation on the decision because and he is the spokesperson of the commission,” said Ramadhani.
Commissioner Salmin Senga could not confirm or deny if the controversial decision had blessings of other ZEC members.
But two commissioners from CUF Ayoub Bakar and Nassor Khamis Mohamed said their boss had neither legal grounds nor fundamental reasons to cancel the results and demanded that he should withdraw the decision.
Ayub said the announcement met him off-guard as he and other commission members were in the hall waiting for their chairman to announce the counting updates that they could continue working with the results from other constituencies when Jecha revealed the bombshell.
He said the move was in violation of Sections 119(1) and 119 (10) of Zanzibar Constitution that requires a meeting and consent of all members of the commission in passing such a decision.
However, Jecha had justified his decision by citing nine motives, including multiple voting, excessive number of voters as compared to those who had registered and counting of votes outside the polling stations.
But critiques say he had cooked up the motives in the absence of documentary evidence to prove his case.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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