Tanzania’s presidential race has taken a dramatic turn after the electoral commission barred the candidate of the country’s second-largest opposition party from contesting the October elections, a move that many fear could strip the polls of real competition.
On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that it had cleared President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and her running mate, Emmanuel Nchimbi, to contest the October 29 vote. Hassan, who stepped into power in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, is now seeking her first full term.
But the race looks increasingly one-sided. Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, was already pushed aside in April after it refused to sign the electoral code of conduct in protest of flawed reforms. Its leader, Tundu Lissu, has since been held on treason charges, which he insists are politically motivated.
INEC has now also rejected the nomination of Luhaga Mpina, presidential hopeful of ACT-Wazalendo, the country’s second-largest opposition party. The party says the commission gave no clear reason for the rejection, further fuelling concerns that the playing field is being deliberately tilted.
Critics say these decisions point to an organised attempt to weaken the opposition. Mpina, a former CCM lawmaker who recently defected to ACT-Wazalendo, has been one of the government’s fiercest critics. His disqualification, coming just weeks after joining the party, is already being seen as another blow to multiparty democracy.
“This decision is not only shameful but raises serious questions about the independence and professionalism of the electoral commission,” ACT-Wazalendo’s Secretary General, Ado Shaibu, said in a strongly worded statement.
The developments have sparked fresh worries about Tanzania’s democratic health. Human rights groups point to a worrying trend — from the detention of Lissu to reports of abductions of government critics — arguing that the narrowing political space contradicts President Hassan’s reformist image abroad.
Despite the controversies, Hassan has urged her party members to remain united ahead of the vote, assuring supporters of victory. While she has branded herself globally as a moderniser and reformer, her domestic critics warn that her credibility is being tested at home.
With CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo out of the picture, voters will be left with candidates from much smaller parties, raising fears that October’s election will lack genuine competition and could further undermine trust in Tanzania’s democracy.
