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Tanzanian MPs greenlight electoral reforms
FILE PHOTO: Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan speaks with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (not pictured) during a meeting inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 15, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
On Friday, Tanzanian lawmakers gave their approval to electoral reforms, a move contested by the main opposition party, Chadema, which has pledged to protest against the legislation.
Chadema, that had been pushing for electoral reform, argues that the three bills fail to address concerns related to the 2020 presidential election, where the late authoritarian leader John Magufuli claimed a landslide victory despite opposition allegations of fraud.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government, succeeding Magufuli in 2021, asserts that these reforms will enhance democracy in the East African nation.
Despite Chadema’s call for the withdrawal of the bills and a demand for increased independence for the electoral commission, thousands participated in a demonstration organised by the opposition party last week.
Lawmakers engaged in debates on the bills starting Tuesday, culminating in a vote on Friday. Parliament speaker Tulia Ackson announced the approval of the bills, which will now be sent to the President for enactment into law.
Chadema’s critique primarily focuses on a provision allowing President Hassan to directly appoint five out of ten members of the electoral commission ahead of the upcoming presidential election in the following year.
The demonstration in Dar es Salaam last week marked the largest since the government lifted a one-year-old ban on opposition political rallies. Chadema’s Secretary General, John Mnyika, expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s response to their demands, emphasizing that no changes were observed after the initial protest.
Chadema leader Freeman Mbowe, who has faced imprisonment under both Magufuli and Hassan, dismissed the bills as offering only “cosmetic” reforms. The party announced plans for weekly protests in cities such as Mwanza, Mbeya, and Arusha starting on February 13. With the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party dominating Parliament with 364 out of 392 seats, the opposition faces an uphill battle.
President Hassan, aiming to reverse some of her predecessor’s hardline policies, lifted the ban on opposition gatherings in January 2023. Following this, prominent opposition leader Tundu Lissu returned to Tanzania after spending most of the previous five years in exile.
