THE General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Canon Dickson Chilongani, responded last week to "unfounded accusations" about the fairness of the election of the new Archbishop-elect, the Rt Revd Jacob Chimeledya, last month.

Canon Chilongani said in a statement last Friday that "unfounded accusations of corruption, bribery, and tribalism" had been made on the internet. "It is very sad that someone who did not attend the election could spoil what was confirmed by all our bishops as a fair and transparent election," he said.

Canon Chilongani said that, when the election took place, no objections were raised about the legitimacy of any voters. Of the 129 legitimate voters, 66 had voted for Bishop Chimeledya, and 63 had voted for the Bishop of Dar es Salaam, the Rt Revd Valentino Leonard Mokiwa.

Canon Chilongani also said that both candidates had received support "from electors from many different tribes", and that the synod at which the election took place "was not as luxurious or expensive as it is being portrayed".

All 25 bishops who were present at the synod signed a "deed of confirmation, meaning that the election was fair and transparent", Canon Chilongani said.

He concluded by saying that the election had been "fair, transparent, free of corruption, free of bribery and tribalism, and contrary to what is portrayed by critics who were not present at the election".