Dar es Salaam: Local and international observers are supposed to operate within a set of boundaries in elections, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).  The role of local and international observation shall consist of assessing and evaluating the impartiality and legality of the NEC decisions. In case of electoral disputes, they are supposed to check voter registration, how campaigns were conducted, the voting process and how elections results were determined.

Despite being required to work under certain rules and regulations, local and international observers have their rights as well.  They have the right to request for and obtain reasonable information regarding civic education, the candidates campaign, voter registration, nominations and the polling exercise.   Observers also have the right to be present at polling stations to inspect ballot boxes and polling booths before the votes are cast.

They should have the freedom of movement to communicate freely with any political party countrywide save for military installations and other restricted areas.  They are, however, obliged to respect and abide by the laws of the land, to operate impartially, independently and to observe objectivity.

Local and international observes, according to NEC, should cooperate with electoral officials without interfering with their duties.  International observers are expected to have valid visas for them to operate in the country, comply with health instructions, heed health tips and adhere to security alerts provided by the commission.

Once observers get the permission to operate in the country, they are supposed to report any irregularity to NEC, which will examine the reported irregularity and take corrective measures where necessary. Each local or international organisation of observers should provide NEC with copies of their reports to NEC.

Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee (Temco) is amongst prominent institutions, which have been closely observing elections in the country.   The local committee has already announced that it would deploy over 7,200 observers across the country during this year's General Election. The Temco team involving short and long-term observers was to be deployed with effect from this month.

According to Ms Mariam Abubakar, the Temco vice chairperson, the committee will deploy 210 long-term and 7,000 short-term observers to be scattered through all constituencies in the country. Temco deployed an observation team to Zanzibar to observe the voter registration and voter register updating process from October last year to June, she recalled.

Ms Abubakar said short-term observers would be deployed at 6,650 sampled polling stations in Tanzania Mainland and 700 would be posted in Zanzibar. She said the committee had been posting its observers since 1995 and that many issues recorded in different reports were useful for vital democratic changes taking place in the country.

"In July 2010, Temco deployed experts to observe political parties' congresses for the nomination of presidential and vice presidential candidates," she explained.

Last month, according to Ms Abubakar, the committee deployed a team of 62 local experts to observe the intra-political parties nominations for parliamentary, House of Representatives and local council elections in sampled constituencies in both Tanzanian Mainland and Zanzibar.

Temco constitutes 152 local civil society organisations, including some faith-based organisations such as the National Muslim Council of Tanzania, Tanzania Episcopal Conference and the Christian Council of Tanzania. The committee has been working with the Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (Redet), which carries its activities under the Political Science and Public Administration department of the University of Dar es Salaam. Redet has since in 1965 been monitoring and observing elections.