{The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has warned election observers who were given the mandate to monitor the just ended general election that their job has expired; therefore any observation henceforth is illegal.}
A statement released by the Director of Elections, Mr Kailima Ramadhan, indicates that no observation activities or anything related to observation is allowed to be conducted after the 10th November, 2015 without written permission from NEC.
“With reference to Section 63 (4) of the National Elections Act No. 1 of 1985 (C a p 343), the National Electoral Commission is given mandate to give directions regulating the Conduct of Observers,” said Mr Kailima in part of the statement.
He said that the Commission made the Presidential and Parliamentary (Elections) Regulations of 2015 regulating the invitation of observers, duration of observation, disqualification of observers, briefing of observers, rights and prohibition to observers and reporting by observers.
Further, he said there are guidelines for domestic and international observers, stating clearly among other things, the expiration of the observer’s mission. The statement said that the Accreditation Cards which were issued by the Commission to the Observers expired on 10th of November, 2015.
“Whoever is carrying out any activity in connection with the electoral process at this stage is breaking the laws of the country”. “As for the postponed elections, any observer who wants to observe has to apply to the Commission for new accreditation,” he said.
The statement concluded that whoever does observation without prior permission of the Commission is committing an offence and the Commission will not tolerate any person claiming to be an observer without following proper procedures laid down by the laws of the country.
DAILY NEWS
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