TANZANIA- The European Union (EU) earlier in the week gave Tanzania 8.2 billion shillings ($5.1 million) to help support credible and peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in 2015 as well the ongoing constitutional referendum, Tanzania's The Guardian reported Tuesday (January 14th).

The EU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed the agreement under the Democratic Empowerment Project (DEP) in Dar es Salaam. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) also signed the agreement.

The UNDP oversees the DEP programme in Tanzania, which will continue for three years with a total budget of 36 billion shillings ($22.2 million).

Funds will go to technical and administrative support as well as voter education and initiatives to empower citizens to participate in the democratic process.