ZEC urges election supervisors to uphold law and fairness

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has urged constituency election supervisors to act as pillars of democracy by ensuring that the October polls are conducted strictly in line with the law, free from bias and in full respect of voters’ rights.

At the opening of a five-day capacity-building workshop for 100 assistant constituency supervisors at ZEC headquarters in Maisara, recently, Vice Chairperson Judge Aziza Iddi Suweid underscored the weight of their role.

“As direct representatives of the Commission in the field, your work will either strengthen or weaken public trust in the electoral process,” she told participants.

Judge Aziza called on supervisors to be exemplary in language, demeanor and transparency when interacting with the public, cautioning that even minor lapses in fairness could erode confidence in the system.

“The success of this election depends heavily on your work. Every constituency must be managed in full compliance with the law, without bias, so the process remains transparent, fair and credible,” she said.

She further urged supervisors to familiarise themselves with all relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines.

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In her view, running an election is a collective undertaking, involving the Commission, security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, faith-based institutions and the public at large.

ZEC Director Thabit Idarous Faina said the training was designed to equip supervisors with knowledge in legal frameworks, campaign monitoring, polling procedures, vote counting and the proper announcement of results.

Importantly, they will also be responsible for training polling station staff in their constituencies.

Workshops such as these have been introduced in recent years to prevent mistakes that, in the past, have delayed vote counting or led to disputes over tallying.

By preparing supervisors well in advance, ZEC aims to reduce logistical and procedural challenges on election day