With key opposition blocked and critics jailed, Tanzania’s October 29 vote faces scrutiny as Malawi heads the SADC observer mission.
By The Forum
Tanzania goes to the polls on October 29 amid growing concerns over the credibility of the vote, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) expected to win almost unopposed.
Although 17 candidates have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), observers say none pose a serious challenge to the ruling party. The main opposition, Chadema, was disqualified after refusing to sign a government-mandated “code of conduct.” Its leader, Tundu Lissu, remains in custody on treason charges after calling for electoral reforms, a crime that carries the death penalty if convicted.
INEC also barred Luhaga Mpina, the presidential candidate of Tanzania’s second-largest opposition party, citing “irregularities” in his party’s nomination process. Mpina, a former CCM minister, challenged the decision in court, but the High Court dismissed his petition on Wednesday.
“The elections will not be free or fair,” warned Pauline Bax, deputy director of the Africa Program at the International Crisis Group, in comments to the Christian Science Monitor. “There’s been a campaign of harassment and intimidation in the lead-up to the elections that is really worrying.”
Political analysts say the latest developments reflect a broader erosion of democratic space under Suluhu’s leadership. Since taking office in 2021, her administration has been accused of tightening control over media, opposition parties, and civic groups despite earlier promises of reform. The disqualification of key challengers, arrests of activists, and restrictions on rallies have sparked international concern about the state of political pluralism in Tanzania.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has appointed former National Assembly Speaker Richard Msowoya as Head of Mission for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) to Tanzania.
Mutharika, who was re-elected in Malawi’s September 16 elections, currently chairs the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The SADC mission will ensure that the Tanzanian elections are peaceful, transparent, and credible. The SEOM team will observe and report on the voting process to determine whether it meets regional and international democratic standards.
