INEC launches nationwide review of electoral constituencies
MOROGORO: THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the launch of a nationwide review of electoral constituencies, including boundary adjustments and possible name changes.
The process will run from February 27 to March 26, 2025, during which INEC will receive and assess proposals.
INEC Chairperson, Court of Appeal Judge Jacobs Mwambegele, made the announcement on Wednesday, following a commission meeting in Morogoro.
He emphasized that the exercise aligns with the 2024 INEC Regulations and the 1977 Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.
“Starting from tomorrow INEC will initiate a review process to assess constituency boundaries and consider reallocation or renaming where necessary. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their proposals within the set timeframe,” Judge Mwambegele stated.
According to the Constitution, constituency reviews should be conducted periodically, at least once every ten years.
The last review in 2015 resulted in the creation of 26 new constituencies. This year’s process aims to reflect population shifts, economic growth, and administrative restructuring.
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Judge Mwambegele outlined key criteria for the review, including population size 600,000 for urban constituencies and 400,000 for rural areas based on data from the 2022 Population and Housing Census.
Additional factors include economic status, geographical size, administrative boundaries, ensuring that a single constituency does not span multiple districts, population distribution, the capacity of the National Assembly, the allocation of Special Seats for Women MPs, communication infrastructure, and the geographical landscape of the proposed constituencies.
He added that to ensure a structured approach, stakeholders must first present their proposals to District Advisory Committees before submission to Regional Advisory Committees.
The final recommendations will then be forwarded to INEC for evaluation and approval.
Judge Mwambegele reminded local authorities seeking constituency name changes to follow the same submission procedures as those requesting boundary modifications.
