Tanzania’s electoral law reform is overdue for an overhaul. This was made most apparent by the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general elections. The results were big wins for the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM): 99% of local authorities, 98.9% of parliamentary seats and 84% of the presidential vote.

These margins of victory were contested. The United Nations, research think-tanks and various media noted these elections as the most unfree and unfair since the return of the multiparty system in 1992.

The 2019 and 2020 elections, more than the previous ones, underscored the extent to which the electoral law could be abused by the state. Under the administration of the late President John Magufuli, the state used the electoral machinery to deprive the opposition of seats in local government authorities and in parliament.

Opposition parties and civil rights activists have been demanding a level playing field. The changes on their list include constitutional reforms, an independent electoral commission, independent election returning officers, provision for independent candidates, the ability to contest election results in court, and review of the first-past-the-post system.

Not about breaking news. Not about unfounded opinions.

I have researched party politics in Tanzania and it is my view that electoral reforms are urgent, given that local elections are scheduled for December 2024. The general election will follow in October 2025.

Opposition parties have the right to a level playing field. That is not likely under the existing legal set-up. The proposed bills are largely maintaining the status quo. The incumbent president, who chairs the ruling party and is the presidential candidate, appoints members of the electoral commission as well as the returning officers. Change is needed in the selection process to ensure their independence.