Hundreds of observers from both home and abroad are getting ready to witness on December 14 this year's general elections in Tanzania.

Of these observers, 213 will represent the South African Development Community Parliamentary Forum, African Union, European Union, National Democratic Institute of the United States, and Dar es Salaam-based embassies of more than 15 countries.

Stella Mugasha, acting director of Tanzania's National Electoral Commission, said that these observers are being accredited.

The Tanzania Elections Monitoring Committee is fielding 149 local observers.

The South African Development Community is fielding 35 observers while the African Union is providing 20 observers.

This year's general elections, the third multi-party polls in Tanzania since 1995, were originally slated for October 30 but were postponed to December 14 in the wake of the death of a presidential running mate of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo.

Some 15.8 million Tanzanians have registered for this year's polls whereas some 10 million registered for the last polls in 2000.

The eligible voters will cast their ballots next Wednesday in 47,000 polling stations across the country, where 141,000 presiding officers and polling assistants will man these polling stations.

Source: Xinhua