Zanzibar Elections. [28] Jakaya Kikwete, its presidential candidate in 2005, won by a landslide, receiving more than 80 percent of the popular vote. They do not reflect the true will of the millions of Tanzanian people who turned up at polling stations.”. "[39], Four opposition parties with differing ideologies agreed to form an alliance known as UKAWA and intended to nominate a single candidate. The vote “marked the most significant backsliding in Tanzania’s democratic credentials,” Tanzania Elections Watch, a group of regional experts, said in an assessment released Friday. In its final results, the NEC said the president took 84% of the vote, while Mr Lissu received 13%. The opposition chief said his party will not accept any results from the polls and asked the masses to “take the matter in their own hands” by engaging in peaceful demonstrations. The vote “marked the most significant backsliding in Tanzania’s democratic credentials”, Tanzania Elections Watch, a group of regional experts, said in an assessment released on Friday. Concurrently with the general election, Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar will also hold regional elections. Preliminary results announced by the electoral commission showed Magufuli leading against his challengers. “Heads of intelligence and security services were teargassing our people. [47], The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar elects its own President and members to its subnational legislature, the Zanzibar House of Representatives. Electoral System: Since the introduction of multiparty elections in 1995, the uses a first-past-the-post system to determine the composition of the National Legislature, with a separate winner takes all ballot directly electing the President. "[25], The president was elected in a single round of voting. DAR ES SALAAM - Tanzanian President John Magufuli has officially won a second term, with a landslide victory of more than 84% of the vote in this week’s election. Political campaigns commenced on 22 August and ceased a day before the polling day. It means the figures, once confirmed by the Commission remain final. [20], A new constitution was expected to have been adopted before the general election via a referendum that had been postponed. “I urge Tanzanians not to recognize any authority coming out of this widespread rigging. Past Zanzibar elections have been surrounded by violence, and analysts fear … However, the NEC’s chairperson rejected the accusation of fraud from the opposition. [18], At the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D. C., President Kikwete said that he is looking forward to his retirement and described the presidency as being both "stressful and thankless. Opposition in Zanzibar says candidate detained, people shot ahead of vote Tanzania’s ruling party won more than 99 percent of seats in local elections boycotted by the opposition, according to official figures released on Monday. General elections were held in Tanzania on 25 October 2015. [17] The Tanzanian diaspora were not allowed to vote in this election. “The results that have been announced since yesterday and which the Electoral Commission continues to announce today are, therefore, illegitimate. [34][35][36][37][38] The Economist Intelligence Unit in its political forecast stated that "CCM's candidate is almost certain to become the country's next president. The commission didn't … These elections were one of the most competitive in the history of the country, owing to the emergence of a united opposition that was formed during the recent Tanzanian voters were called to the polls on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 to elect the country’s main political institution – the President, the National Assembly, and the District Councillors (diwani).Without surprise, the outcome of the sixth general elections since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992 reaffirmed the longstanding grip on power of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). The Commonwealth Observer Group you deployed to observe the elections in the United Republic of Tanzania on 25 October 2015 has completed its report, and is pleased to submit it to you. [3] Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the country's dominant ruling party, selected Works Minister John Magufuli as its presidential nominee instead of the front-runner, former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa. After failing to secure the CCM's nomination, Lowassa defected to the opposition Chadema party despite it once labelling him as "one of the most corrupt figures in Tanzanian society". The opposition boycotted the re-run, and tensions remain high. [6] A ban on witch doctors was imposed in January 2015,[7] as some of them condone the killings due to superstitious beliefs that the victims' bodies "possess powers that bring luck and prosperity".[8]. Zitto Kabwe, ACT-Wazalendo party leader, said the elections had confirmed Tanzania’s growth into a dictatorship. Tanzania: The General Election Results and Its Implication to Financial Markets. CCM also alleged there were violations in at least four parliamentary constituencies it had lost and that it would go to court to contest the result, but added that the "elections were free and fair" and that voting reflected the will of the people. It noted a heavy deployment of military and police whose conduct created a “climate of fear.” [9] In the National Assembly election, the CCM maintained its supermajority in parliament, but key figures in the previous cabinet suffered defeats in their constituencies. Tanzania's main opposition presidential candidate Tundu Lissu Thursday rejected the results of the vote, terming it a fraud. In Tanzania’s elections on 31 October 2010, for the first time since independence, an opposition party made significant gains in votes and seats in Tanzania’s National Assembly. The National Assembly consisted of 264 members elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting, 113 women elected based on the vote share of parties nationwide, up to ten members elected by the president, five members elected by the Zanzibar House of Representatives and the Attorney-General. Tanzania's two leading opposition parties said on Saturday they would not recognise the results of a presidential election that handed incumbent John Magufuli a second five-year term. A member of Civic United Front (CUF) said that annulling the result was a ploy to re-run the election it has won. [32], On 12 July, Works Minister John Magufuli was declared as the party's candidate;[33] he was considered most likely to win the election. ‘Full authoritarianism’ Tanzania elections: At-a-glance summary Wednesday October 28 2020 Tanzania's President and Chama Cha Mapinduzi flagbearer John Magufuli (left) and former MP and presidential candidate for main opposition party Chadema Tundu Lissu. [1], The incumbent president, Jakaya Kikwete, was ineligible to be elected to a third term because of term limits. Article 39(1) of the 1977 Constitution stipulates the following qualifications for a person to be elected as President:[26]. [10] Chadema securing its largest-yet number of seats. Consequences for this must be huge.”. [31] On 11 July, the National Executive Committee selected the three finalists: John Magufuli, Amina Salum Ali and Asha-Rose Migiro. The alliance consists of the conservative/centrist Chadema, the liberal Civic United Front (CUF), the social democratic NCCR–Mageuzi and the National League for Democracy (NLD). Assembly: Tanzania has a unicameral National Assembly (Bunge) with 357 seats. Voters elected the president, members of Parliament, and local government councillors. Pre-Election Statement by the Tanzania Elections Watch Panel ahead of the General Elections on 28 October 2020. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) has declared 25 October as the election date. As per the directive of the Bretton Woods Institutions, political and economic reforms were implemented in the 1990s. Lissu asked Tanzanians to come out and engage in a peaceful mass demonstration against the results. International observers criticised the process in the strongest of terms. Tanzania's two leading opposition parties said on Saturday they would not recognise the results of a presidential election that handed incumbent John Magufuli a second five-year term. At the moment Magufuli has nearly five times the mote compared to the total garnered by all the other 14 presidential candidates. Results in the presidential election from 17, out of the more than 260 constituencies, that have been published on the electoral commission's website show a huge lead for President Magufuli. Voters elected the president, members of Parliament, and local government councillors. CUF National Chairman Ibrahim Lipumba resigned, stating that the coalition had "reneged on its agreement" on receiving those defecting from CCM.[41]. General elections were held in Tanzania on 25 October 2015. [61] In ensuing protests in Zanzibar, several people were arrested. The Panel is, however, deeply concerned over reports of escalating tension in Zanzibar on the eve of the polls. [19] In May 2015, Kikwete denied reports that his government planned to extend his term beyond his constitutional mandate and assured the nation that he was "leaving in October". More than 2,700 CCM members contested in the party's primaries in order to seek the party's nomination. DODOMA, Tanzania -- Tanzania's populist President John Magufuli has accepted the official certification of his victory in the East African country's election last week. DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - The political opposition is rejecting early results of Tanzania’s presidential and parliamentary election, saying … [24] The Tanzanian Army refuted allegations made by CHADEMA that it had confiscated the BVR cards of its soldiers and warned political parties "to stop provoking it. [30], More than forty members of the party contested in the primaries. [23] About 4,000 adherents of the Watch Tower Church in Kalambo District have been prohibited from voting as it is against their beliefs. [15] By 2 August, NEC succeeded in registering 24,001,134 voters,[16] although the final number was 23,254,485. The final draft of the proposed constitution includes the establishment of an independent electoral commission and will allow dissatisfied candidates to challenge the results in the High Court within seven days of the pronouncement. Unlike most of its neighbours, Tanzania–mainland has enjoyed relative political stability since attaining independence in 1961. Tanzanian main opposition presidential candidate Tundu Lissu Thursday rejected the election results terming it a fraud. On 29 October, CCM's Magufuli was declared the winner of the presidential election ahead of Chadema's Lowassa, who has yet to concede amid a dispute. Prior to the elections, twenty-six new constituencies were created by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the names of ten constituencies were altered. In response to the National Electoral Commission's (NEC) plan to reveal the winner of the presidential race on 29 October, Lowassa called for the cancellation of the announcement. On Friday, Tanzania's National Electoral Commission declared Magufuli the winner of Wednesday's poll, with 84% of the vote against 13% for his opponent, Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party. “Tanzania in a full-blown one-party dictatorship. Voter casts her ballot during the presidential and parliamentary elections at the Ukombozi primary school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, October 28, 2020. See the complete results, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2015 Chama Cha Mapinduzi presidential primaries, Progressive Party of Tanzania – Maendeleo, "NEC sets October 25 as general elections date", Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, "Tanzania's president Jakaya Kikwete says: I can't wait to step down", "Tanzania's ex-PM is running for president with the party that once called him corrupt", "More surprises in store as we head towards an unpredictable election", "Tanzanian politicians warned off witch craft ahead of election", "Tanzania bans witchdoctors in attempt to end albino killings", "When superstition is your biggest enemy: the fight for Albino rights in Tanzania", "John Magufuli Declared Winner in Tanzania's Presidential Election", "Tanzania election: Government ministers suffer shock defeat", "Interview with H.E.