The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, on April 23, 2025, chaired a joint meeting between the Commission and Electoral Stakeholders in Magu District Council, Mwanza Region to ascertain whether the information contained in the applications submitted for the division of Magu constituency is correct.
“We received the application for the proposal to divide Magu constituency through a letter with Ref. No. CFA.89/231/01C/20 dated March 11, 2025 from the Mwanza Regional Administrative Secretary, so this meeting is brief, its purpose is to ascertain the statistics and name of the constituency as submitted as part of the Commission’s role in engaging its electoral stakeholders”, said Justice Mwambegele.
He said, the Commission has chosen to visit some of the constituencies that requested division in order to satisfy itself whether the information contained in the applications submitted is correct regarding the constituency in question.
Judge Mwambegele said that in accordance with Articles 75(4) and 74(6)(c) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 read together with Article 10(1)(d) of the Independent National Electoral Commission Act No. 1 of 2024, the Commission has the responsibility to examine and divide the United Republic into electoral constituencies.
The Commission may carry out this responsibility periodically or at least every ten years.
“Articles 75(3) and (4) have specified the criteria for the division of constituencies which are population, access to communication and geographical location. Other criteria considered by the Commission in dividing constituencies are specified in the Third Schedule of the Independent National Electoral Commission Regulations of 2024,” said Judge Mwambegele.
Judge Mwambegele mentioned other criteria relevant to the delimitation of constituencies are the economic situation, the size of the constituency, administrative boundaries, one constituency not being within two Districts or Councils, the layout of existing residential areas, the environment of the union, the capacity of the Parliament and the number of special seats for women.
Among those who attended the session were Mwanza Regional leaders, Magu District Leaders, Magu Political Party Leaders, Representatives of various groups of women, youth, people with disabilities and traditional elders.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the start of the process of examining and delimiting or changing the names of electoral constituencies where it received proposals from February 27, 2025 to March 26, 2025.
