Media Wire Express Correspondent
Tanzania’s primary opposition party may be barred from the upcoming general elections in October after its leader was charged with treason last week.
On Saturday, the CHADEMA party chose to boycott an event where all political parties were expected to sign a code of ethics, thereby breaching a legal obligation for participation in the elections, as reported by Ramadhani Kailima, a director at the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Any party that did not attend today will not have the chance tomorrow,” Kailima stated. “Thus, any party that fails to submit its declaration will be excluded from this year’s 2025 elections and any subsequent by-elections that may occur during the five-year term.”
Tundu Lissu, the CHADEMA leader, was charged with treason on Thursday after being arrested at a public rally where he advocated for electoral reforms ahead of the elections. He was taken into custody late Wednesday following his speech at a rally in Mbinga, a town located over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital.
Related:https://mediawireexpress.co.tz/tundu-lissu-faces-treason-charges-ahead-of-election/
Tanzania will elect the president and members of parliament in the October elections.
The opposition in Tanzania has been advocating for electoral reforms to guarantee that the upcoming elections are conducted fairly and transparently. In a statement on Saturday, CHADEMA expressed its opposition to holding elections without “fundamental electoral reforms.”
Human rights advocates have accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of employing heavy-handed tactics against opposition groups, a claim that the government has denied.
In 2017, three years prior to the last election, Tundu Lissu survived an assassination attempt, having been shot 16 times. His party has criticized laws that benefit the ruling CCM party, which has maintained power since Tanzania gained independence in 1961.
