DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- A political party on Saturday announced it was withdrawing from Tanzania's civic polls slated for November 24 citing nomination irregularities.
Chama Cha Ukombozi wa Umma (CHAUMA) chairman Hashim Rungwe announced the withdrawal of the party's 250 candidates from the polls at a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam
"It is impossible that only candidates from opposition parties are the ones making mistakes in filling nomination forms," said Rungwe, making his party the fourth to withdraw from the polls out of the east African nation's 22 registered political parties.
Other political parties that have announced withdrawal from the polls were Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), ACT-Wazalendo and Chama Cha Kijamii (CCK). They have also cited nomination irregularities.
On Saturday, Mwita Waitara, the Deputy Minister in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government told a news conference in the capital Dodoma that the polls will go ahead despite boycotts announced by opposition parties.
"The civic polls will be conducted on November 24 as planned despite boycotts announced by some opposition parties," said Waitara.
Waitara said the government has prepared to ensure peaceful election warning the opposition and other citizens to refrain from instigating chaos during and after the election.
Selemani Jafo, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government said recently the target was to register 22.9 million voters but only 19.7 million registered for the polls.
Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics show that there are 26,960,485 eligible voters in the country.
