TANZANIA: AS the updating of the Permanent Voters’ Register (PVR) is underway in the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned that citizens who commit fraud by registering more than once in the register (PVR) will be committing an offence.
According to INEC any person who will be proven guilty of committing the offence may face not less than six months jail sentence and pay a fine of between 100,000/- and 300,000/-.
The INEC alert was issued on Thursday, a day before concluding the PVR update in three regions—Kigoma, Tabora and Katavi which commenced last week.
According to the commission after concluding the exercise in the three regions on Friday it is going to be conducted in Geita and Kagera regions and thereafter followed by Mwanza, Shinyanga, Simiyu and Manyara regions.
The updating of the PVR is a crucial exercise as the country is scheduled to hold its General Election next year.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Geita Region INEC Chairman, Judge Jacobs Mwambegele said: “I would like to emphasise on the issue registering more than once in the PVR, this is a legal offence in accordance with the provisions of section 114(1) of the Act on the Election of President, Members of Parliament and Councillors,” he pointed out.
Judge Mwambegele further clarified that anyone who applies for registration more than once will have committed a legal offence and if convicted, the punishment will be a fine of not less than 100,000/- and not more than 300,000/- or being jailed for a period of not less than six months and not more than two years or both.
SAHowever, the Commission Chairman emphasised that there are no possibilities of a person to register more than once and the information to remain in the register because before releasing the final copy the commission will delete voters who have registered more than once.
“Immediately after the PVR update exercise is completed, all information is entered into Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) that shows all those who have registered on the register more than once,” he said.
Speaking last week, a day before the official launch of the PVR update exercise at Kawawa grounds in Kigoma Region, the INEC Director of Election, Ramadhan Kailima said update of the register aims at giving an opportunity to qualified citizens to register and become eligible voters by updating voters’ information or transferring their information, including enabling those who have lost their IDs to secure new ones and delete those who lack the qualifications to remain in the register.
Mr Kailima also outlined new features in PVR update including registration of the prisoners in mainland Tanzania and trainees in correctional institution in Zanzibar who serve below six months and remandees who qualify to be registered.
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“There are 140 voters’ registration centres in prisons of which 130 are in Mainland and 10 correctional institutions in Zanzibar,” he said.
According to INEC, more than five million new voters across the country are expected to be registered in the PVR. According to him, after the update, the permanent voter’s register is expected to have a total of 34,746,638 voters.
“A total of 5,586,433 new voters, equivalent to 18.7 per cent of 29,754,699 voters existing in current register after the update made in 2019/2020, are expected to be added in the document,” he pointed out.
However, Mr Kailima added that as 4,369,531 voters are expected to update their information, at least 594,494 are anticipated to be deleted for not having the qualifications to remain in the register.
Mr Kailima said that this year’s exercise will entail a total of 40,126 registration centres, with 39,709 located in mainland Tanzania and 417 in Zanzibar.
