| The Zanzibar Electoral Commission has been vested with legal powers to make by laws and set various procedures for the execution of its responsibilities. By using those legal powers, Zanzibar Electoral Commission formed seven Advisory Committees having Members from political parties, Non-governmental Institutions and Government Officers/Officials, so as to give thoughtful contributions on various administrative programs of election activities. The Chairman of those committees is Commissioners of the Electoral Commission and their Secretaries are functionaries of the Secretariat. The Actual committees are:
- Committee for Security Matters;
- Election Observers Coordinating Committee;
- Ethics Committees;
- Voter Education Committee;
- Election Materials And Logistics Committee; and
- Communication and Media Committee
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Duties of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission
The duties of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission have been explained in the Zanzibar constitution, 1984, and in the Election Act, 1984, together with various amendments made. Those duties are:-
- To demarcate Zanzibar into Constituencies for Representatives elections;
- To conduct nomination of the members of House of Representatives of special seats for women;
- To supervise and coordinate Presidential, Representatives and local Councilors elections;
- To promote and coordinate voter education; and
- To conduct voters’ registration
Freedom of The Zanzibar Electoral Commission
- In order for the Zanzibar Electoral Commission to exercise its constitutional duties, the constitution has vividly explained that the Commission is not obliged to follow orders or directives of any person or from any government department, nor should it follow the views of any political party.
- member of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission cannot be removed from the Commission, except for failing to discharge his/her functions either due to the health ground, or due to bleaching of his/her obligation constitutionally or due to inability in discharging his/her functions. If the President feels that there in an issue (needs) of removing a member, he will form a Task Force, which will advise him on removing that member.
- Decisions of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission concerning discharge of its functions are, safe-guarded by the Constitution and that there is no court of Law which will be having the mandate to investigate anything done by the Commission in its execution of authority invested with in accordance with the Constitutional conditions
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