LILONGWE, Oct. 13 — Richard Msowoya, Malawi’s former speaker of the National Assembly, has been appointed as the head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) for Tanzania’s general elections.
Malawian President Peter Mutharika, chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, made the appointment on Sunday with immediate effect, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement said Malawi will work closely with all members of the electoral observation mission “to ensure a smooth execution of the SEOM mandate” in Tanzania.
Msowoya served as the seventh speaker of the National Assembly of Malawi from 2014 to 2019 and was the Malawi Congress Party’s presidential running mate in the 2014 election in Malawi.
Tanzanians will go to the polls on Oct. 29 to elect a president, with incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, candidate of Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi, seeking a re-election.
Seventeen presidential contenders were cleared by the country’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, in August. (Xinhua)
