Tanzania’s main opposition party said Tuesday that without significant political reforms they intended to “block” the 2025 national elections, after the government won local polls they claim were rigged.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party swept to victory in polls at the village, street and hamlet level across the East African country on November 27
Tanzania was electing more than 80,000 local leaders who wield considerable power.
Officials results showed that the CCM of President Samia Suluhu Hassan scored more than 98 percent with 18 other parties sharing the remaining seats.
But the leading opposition party Chadema said the elections had been manipulated, with chairperson Freeman Mbowe saying that “the results were not credible at all”.
Our colleagues used all legal and illegal tactics to make sure that the opposition is suppressed,” Mbowe told reporters, detailing how thousands of opposition candidates had been disqualified and the use of fake ballots.
He said Chadema would petition the High Court to demand reforms ahead of the national election next year.
Mbowe urged party members to “be ready for the fight”, adding: “no reform, no elections in 2025”.
His deputy Tundu Lissu stressed the need for systemic changes, telling reporters Chadema had lost because the security and civil services had supported the ruling party.
We need reforms in the electoral system before the next election… failure of that (means) there will be no elections,” he said.
“And when we say no elections, we don’t mean we will boycott. We will block the elections through confrontation,” Lissu said, without giving further details.
The opposition’s calls for an overhaul of the electoral system have long been ignored by the ruling outfit.
The recent local polls were the first electoral test for Hassan since she took office after the sudden death of her authoritarian predecessor John Magufuli in 2021.
