SADC Launches Electoral Observation Mission Ahead Of Tanzania’s General Elections

DAR ES SALAAM, Xinhua: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Tuesday officially launched its Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to monitor Tanzania’s general elections scheduled for Oct. 29.

Speaking at the launch in the port city of Dar es Salaam, Richard Msowoya, head of the SEOM and former Malawian parliament speaker, who represented SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation Chairperson and Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika, expressed gratitude to the Tanzanian government for inviting SADC to observe the polls.

Msowoya said the mission, comprising 80 observers from 10 SADC member states, will be deployed across 27 of Tanzania’s 31 regions to monitor the pre-election, election, and post-election phases, including campaigns, voting, and vote counting.

Msowoya noted that the observation follows a pre-election assessment conducted by the SADC Electoral Advisory Council from July 11 to 21, which aimed to identify areas for improvement in the electoral process.

Reaffirming SADC’s commitment to strengthening democracy in the region, he urged all political stakeholders to uphold peace and respect the rule of law during the elections.

“We encourage all registered voters to exercise their civic and political rights by going out to vote in a peaceful, free, fair, and transparent manner,” he said.

The SEOM will issue its preliminary statement on Oct. 31, summarizing its observations on the conduct of Tanzania’s elections, said Msowoya.