On Tuesday, Tanzania’s opposition criticized the election commission’s decision to disqualify it from the upcoming general election in October.
The electoral authority claimed that CHADEMA, the leading opposition party, failed to sign a document committing to uphold the commission’s decisions.
According to Ramadhani Kailima, a director at the Independent National Electoral Commission, CHADEMA boycotted a gathering where all parties were expected to endorse a code of ethics, thereby breaching a legal obligation for participation in elections.
In response, CHADEMA’s legal secretary labeled the disqualification as unconstitutional. Regemeleza Nshala pointed out that while the law outlines penalties, it does not include a disqualification.
The party has refused to sign the electoral agreement, citing a lack of necessary reforms in the electoral process.
Tundu Lissu, CHADEMA’s leader, was charged with treason on Thursday after being arrested during a public rally where he advocated for electoral reforms ahead of the elections.
Following his speech at a rally in Mbinga, located over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital, Lissu was forcibly taken into a police vehicle late Wednesday.
If the ban on CHADEMA is maintained, President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Chama Cha Mapinduzi party would effectively face no opposition in the October elections.
Human rights advocates have accused the government of employing oppressive measures against the opposition, a claim that the government has denied.
