NGO Urges INEC To Prosecute Electoral Offenders

Project Swift Count (PSC), “Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute electoral offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.

Rev. Zacharia Samjumi, a member of the National Steering Committee of the group, told Tide in an interview that it was a responsibility of INEC to fish out and punish people that committed electoral offences.

Samjumi explained  that such step could lead to a remarkable reduction in the number of offences committed by the electorate during elections in the country.

According to him, if those who commit electoral offences are fished out by INEC and punished according to the provision of the law, it will prevent future occurrences.

“For a while, we have been working as civil society organisations to see how we can influence changes to some electoral challenges facing INEC that hamper its performance”, he said.

He observed that incidence of underage voting was still obvious in some areas, stating that “many people who are under age are still voting. “As observers, we do not have legitimate power to stop such people because it will get the whole process affected and public attention will be distracted as well as disrupt peaceful atmosphere of election.“

Samjumi suggested that a separate organ should be established within INEC saddled with the responsibility of apprehending electoral offenders at the polling units during elections.

“Unless another organ is created within INEC, saddled with the responsibility of fishing out culprits, people will not take INEC serious about punishment of offenders, “ he said.

He stressed the need for INEC to as a matter of urgency implement those electoral offences whose penalties are contained in the electoral act to bring sanity in the process.

“I would say that we need implementation to take place, we have all the ideas, these are known issues, if people can be dedicated to each polling units and fish out offenders it will work.“