Tanzania opposition leader wants vote result halted
DAR ES SALAAM
A Tanzanian opposition leader on Wednesday demanded the electoral commission stop announcing presidential results, saying they were erroneous.
"The number of votes in our favour differs from those announced by the National Electoral Commission," said Wilbrod Slaa.
"We have asked NEC to stop announcing presidential results, investigate the discrepancies and order fresh counting and tally the figures with those of our agents," Slaa told AFP.
The 62-year-old Slaa, who ran in Sunday's presidential election on the ticket of CHADEMA, the Swahili acronym for Democracy and Development Party, also said security agents had tampered with both the results and the number of votes cast.
Latest results Wednesday showed incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete with a strong lead, having won in 121 of the 146 constituencies announced, followed by Ibrahim Lipumba of the Civic United Front who won in 19 and Slaa in just six.
Tanzania has 239 constituencies.
Meanwhile, Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party is expressing confidence in winning both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
"We expect to lose about 51 parliamentary constituencies to the opposition, but we will still retain the majority of the 239 seats," CCM campaign manager Abdulrahman Kinana said in Dar es Salaam.
"We acknowledge that the National Electoral Commission has the mandate to announce election results, but we can confirm that CCM are on course to comfortably winning the presidential and parliamentary elections," he said.
