By Friday Simbaya, Iringa
AS the international community commemorates the right to information (RTI) Day on September 28, 2015, People with disabilities (PWDs) in Iringa have demanded for right to access to information on electoral process.
While being a few days remaining before voting in general elections in October this year people with disabilities (PWDs) in Iringa have complained of political parties and national election commission (NEC) not put favorable conditions for them to participate fully in the electoral process this year.
Speaking to the Guardian today in an exclusive interview with Secretary for Tanzania Association of the Deaf (CHAVITA) Iringa Region, Shaibu Juma Shaibu said that political parties and the electoral commission (NEC) don’t indulge them in the ongoing electoral process .
Tanzania Association of the Deaf (CHAVITA) is a member of the Federation of Chambers of Persons with Disabilities Tanzania (SHIVYAWATA).
The Secretary said people with disabilities in here do not actively participate in electoral matters since the campaign to start.
He said that they like to participate in the ongoing political campaigns but they are unable to do that due to lack of interpreters to explain to them the policies of political parties' manifestos, hence lagging behind in elections this year.
Shaibu said that some political parties have reached the extent called opposition because they have no chance to attend the election campaigns for political parties not to give priority in terms of the electoral process to PWDs.
He said that political parties should provide interpreters at their meetings in order to translation in sign language that better understood by with people with hearing impairment.
He added that apart from the people with hearing impairments, there are also numerous disabled in Iringa town who are not involved in political parties campaigns perfectly.
He said a lot of people with disabilities have registered into the permanent voters register (BVR) but they have no civic education on how they are going participate in voting.
“Some members of association have been asking me to provide interpreters in every meeting, but due to financial poverty I have failed to keep an interpreter for each party,” he said.
He said, for example, put an interpreter in the campaign should pay an average of one hundred thousand shillings for 12 hours.
According to the CHAVITA secretary of Iringa region, there are so many people with disabilities (PWDs) 500 in Iringa who registered for the forthcoming general election.
He said among those disabled some are students, some are employees in various places and many of them have registered in the BVR this year.
On the side of the electoral commission, the secretary said the government also did not put favorable environment for the disabled.
For example, he said that so far the deaf and other disabled people have not been given civic education on how they are going to participate in the forthcoming general election.
He said that polling stations must be provided for them a favorable environment as people with disabilities to vote.
The Guardian also conducted interviews with some candidates in Iringa parliamentary constituency in connection with the allegation of PWDs not include them in the campaigns.
One of those candidates is Rev. Peter Msigwa (Chadema) said that the issue of PWDs participation in the campaign is not for political parties.
Rev. Msigwa said that their duty as political parties is push for the government to put good environment for people with disabilities.
He gave the example that if elected to parliament in Iringa town he will ensure they make a good environment for the disabled with special sheds for people with disabilities.
"We speak for them during our campaigns and in our election manifestos we remember so there is no question of saying we do car about them," Rev. emphasized.
For her part, the candidate through ACT-Wazalendo Chiku Abawo admitted that they don’t provide interpreters for people with disabilities in their election campaigns. She added everything for PWDs is in their party election manifesto.
Tanzania Federation of Disabled Peoples Organizations (SHIVYAWATA) with the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is implementing a project titled “Inclusive Elections.”
The project aims at advocating for people with disabilities (PWDs) to fully and participates equally in leadership and political processes.
Apart from targeting leaders of PWDs to raise their awareness on these processes, the project also supports SHIVYAWATA in engaging the mass media in advocating for fair, just and increased participation of PWDs in determining the country’s political direction.
Tanzania is currently in the process of electing local leaders, legislatures and the President by October this year, and PWDs participation in this democratic process, both as voters and contestants, is crucial.
In the months leading to the presidential elections, the federation intends to embark on capacity building activities targeting journalists from both electronic, print, public and private media houses to enhance accuracy and fair representation of PWDs issues in the political processes; improve PWDs’ portrayal in the media - as citizens capable to take up leadership positions as opposed to being helpless individuals; and motivate public and leadership support to PWDs political needs and aspirations in Tanzania.
Media sensitization on PWDs issues is intended to contribute to, reducing stigma associated with disabilities, and strengthen a just and fair treatment of PWDs in Tanzania’s socio-economic and political processes.
Activities that would enhance knowledge of media practitioners on PWDs – their socio-economic and political status; their rights to political participation and in holding leadership accountable; as well expose media practioners to legal frameworks for PWDs and their role and potential in strengthening democracy and democratic institutions are imperative in transforming electoral processes Tanzania.
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