That was revealed by the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Judge Damian Lubuva, when addressing journalists and politicians in Arusha, at the threshold of the Parliamentary Elections which took place here.
In Ludewa, the polls were postponed following the death of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) candidate, Mr Deo Haule Filikunjombe who died in helicopter crash during campaigns while in Masasi the death of Emmanuel Makaidi who vied for the seat via National League for Democracy (NLD) caused the elections to be delayed.
The Chairman of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT) Wazalendo’s Youth Wing Chapter for Arusha, Mr Kessy Augustino, lamented before the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Justice Lubuva, that other parties are sending short text messages in bulks to persuade the people of Arusha to vote for them though they were not allowed to do so.
Short messages are currently being pushed to local residents here, cajoling, begging and even forcing people to vote for particular residents, something which has raised concern among voters as well as some candidates and party leaders.
Judge Lubuva has directed the Regional Electoral Coordinator, Mr Richard Kwitega, to follow up with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) so that the authority should move in to stop such messages.
Many of the messages are pushed to handsets without owners’ consent and sometimes dispatched to them during voting day when all forms of campaigns are prohibited.
Download Video and Put Comment
Toa Maoni Hapa Chini
