Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has been disqualified from participating in the country’s upcoming general elections, a senior official from the Independent National Elections Commission announced on Saturday. The move comes just days after CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason for allegedly attempting to disrupt the electoral process.
Ramadhani Kailima, the commission’s director of elections, said the party failed to sign a mandatory code of conduct by the Saturday deadline, thereby forfeiting its eligibility for both the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
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“Any party that did not sign the code of conduct will not participate in the general election,” Kailima said, adding that the disqualification will also apply to all by-elections until 2030.
Lissu, a former presidential candidate and prominent critic of the government, was charged on Thursday with treason after prosecutors accused him of urging the public to rebel and obstruct the upcoming elections. He has not been allowed to enter a plea, and the charge carries the death penalty.
The disqualification of CHADEMA is expected to intensify scrutiny of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, particularly regarding its human rights record as she seeks re-election. Human rights organizations and opposition groups have accused her government of an escalating crackdown on dissent, pointing to a series of unexplained abductions and killings.
The government has denied the allegations and said it is investigating the reported incidents.
Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the ruling party, has maintained that it upholds human rights and has distanced itself from any rights violations.
CHADEMA has not yet issued a response to the election commission’s announcement. However, earlier on Saturday, the party declared it would boycott the code of conduct signing ceremony as part of its ongoing call for electoral reforms. The party has previously warned it would not participate in elections unless significant changes were made to what it claims is a process skewed in favor of the ruling party.
Reuters
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