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General elections were held in Tanzania on 28 October 2020 to elect the President and members of National Assembly. [1] The presidential election was won by incumbent John Magufuli of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party. [2]
In April 2019, Livingstone Lusinde, an MP for the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, suggested that holding a presidential election in 2020 was not a good idea due to the cost, and that the money should be used for development projects. [3] The proposal was likely made in order to keep President John Magufuli in office till 2025, with Lusinde saying "no one can defeat president Magufuli" anyway. [4]
Opposition parties Chadema, Alliance for Change and Transparency, and NCCR-Mageuzi announced they had started negotiations to form an alliance ahead of the election. [5]
The election commission announced that the campaign would run from 26 August to 27 October 2020. [6]
The president is elected using the two-round system, with a candidate elected in the first round only if they obtain more than half of all the valid votes cast; if no candidate received over 50% of the vote, a second round is held. Article 39(1) of the 1977 Constitution requires candidates to be Tanzanian citizens by birth, at least 40 years old, be nominated by a political party of which they are a member, be qualified to be an MP or a member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives and not have any convictions related to tax evasion. [7]
The ruling CCM (and its predecessor parties) has dominated the political scene since the nation attained independence in 1961. Following the restoration of multi-party politics in 1992, it has retained its popularity and the voters' confidence, winning all of the past five general elections (held in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015). [8] The previous election was won by John Magufuli, who ran for re-election for his second term. [9]
The main opposition party Chama cha Democracia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) held its general council conference in Dar es Salaam on 3 August 2020. A total of seven members completed their nomination forms for the position for the Union President. [10]
A total of 453 of 456 party general council delegates attended the conference. The three names passed on by the central committee for the general council to vote on were, Tundu Lissu (405 votes), Lazaro Nyalandu (36 votes) and Mayrose Majige (1 vote), [10] with Lissu chosen as CHADEMA's Union presidential candidate. [15]
Alliance for Change and Transparency-Wazalendo part held their central committee elections on 5 August 2020. The party's 420 central committee members nominated ex foreign minister Bernard Membe with 97.61% vote as the union presidential candidate. Membe was expelled from CCM earlier in the year and moved over to ACT to be able to run for president. [16]
On 24 October 2020 the opposition claimed that the government was interfering in the election by making it more difficult to accredit thousands of opposition electoral observers, whose job is to ensure that the election is fair. [17] The National Electoral Commission, whose members are appointed by the president, barred Lissu from campaigning after he said Magufuli had organised a meeting with election officials. [18] From 27 October, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) blocked several popular social media websites to restrict communication amid violence in the islands of Zanzibar, where dozens have been shot dead and tens have been injured by the police and other security forces. [17]
According to Al Jazeera, "The election was marred by allegations of arrests of candidates and protesters, restrictions on agents of political parties to access polling stations, multiple voting, pre-ticking of ballots, and widespread blocking of social media." A local elections watchdog group noted a heavy deployment of military and police whose conduct created a “climate of fear”. [19]
Candidate | Running mate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Magufuli | Samia Suluhu | Chama cha Mapinduzi | 12,516,252 | 84.40 | |
Tundu Lissu | Salum Mwalimu Juma | Chadema | 1,933,271 | 13.04 | |
Bernard Kamillius Membe | Omar Fakih Hamad | Alliance for Change and Transparency | 81,129 | 0.55 | |
Leopord Lucas Mahona | Khamis Ali Hassan | National Reconstruction Alliance | 80,787 | 0.54 | |
Ibrahim Lipumba | Hamida Huweishil Abdalla | Civic United Front | 72,885 | 0.49 | |
John Paul Shibuda | Hassan Kornely Kijogoo | Tanzania Democratic Alliance | 33,086 | 0.22 | |
Hashim Spunda Rungwe | Mohammed Massoud Rashid | Chama cha Ukombozi wa Umma | 32,878 | 0.22 | |
Yeremia Kulwa Maganja | Khamis Haji Ambar | NCCR–Mageuzi | 19,969 | 0.13 | |
Muttamwega Bhatt Mgaywa | Satia Mussa Bebwa | Sauti ya Umma | 14,922 | 0.10 | |
Cecilia Augustino Mwanga | Tabu Mussa Juma | Attentive Democracy Party | 14,556 | 0.10 | |
Philipo John Fumbo | Zaina Juma Khamis | Democratic Party | 8,283 | 0.06 | |
Queen Cuthbert Sendiga | Khamis Juma Shoka | Alliance for Democratic Change | 7,627 | 0.05 | |
Twalib Ibrahim Kadege | Ramadhan Ali Abdallah | United People's Democratic Party | 6,194 | 0.04 | |
Seif Maalim Seif | Rashid Ligania Rai | Alliance for African Farmers Party | 4,635 | 0.03 | |
Khalfan Mohammed Mazrui | Mashavu Alawi Haji | Union for Multiparty Democracy | 3,721 | 0.03 | |
Total | 14,830,195 | 100.00 | |||
Valid votes | 14,830,195 | 98.27 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 261,755 | 1.73 | |||
Total votes | 15,091,950 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 29,754,699 | 50.72 |
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Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
Constituency | Women | Total | +/– | |||||
Chama Cha Mapinduzi | 256 | 94 | 350 | +90 | ||||
Chadema | 1 | 19 | 20 | –53 | ||||
Alliance for Change and Transparency | 5 | 0 | 5 | +4 | ||||
Civic United Front | 2 | 0 | 2 | –40 | ||||
NCCR–Mageuzi | 0 | 0 | 0 | –1 | ||||
Presidential appointees | – | – | 10 | 0 | ||||
Elected by Zanzibar House of Representatives | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||||
Attorney-General | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
Total | 264 | 113 | 393 | 0 | ||||
Registered voters/turnout | 29,754,699 | – | ||||||
Source: NEC, IPU |
The Tanzania electoral watch panel, [20] U.S. State Department, [21] Commonwealth, [22] and European Union [23] were very critical about the elections.
On 10 November 2020, OHCHR published a declaration on the electoral process and its consequences. [24] It was at once answered by Tanzania government. [25]
The politics of Tanzania takes place in a framework of a unitary presidential democratic republic, whereby the President of Tanzania is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The party system is dominated by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Civic United Front is a liberal party in Tanzania. Although nationally based, most of the CUF's support comes from the Zanzibar islands of Unguja and Pemba. The party is a member of Liberal International.
General elections were held in Tanzania on 14 December 2005. Originally scheduled for 30 October, the elections were postponed due to the death of CHADEMA vice-presidential candidate Jumbe Mohamed Jumbe. The elections were the third since the country returned to multi-party rule in 1992. Incumbent President Benjamin Mkapa stepped down after two consecutive terms in accordance with the constitution. Elections for the Presidency of Zanzibar and its House of Representatives took place on 30 October, as scheduled.
The Party for Democracy and Progress, commonly known as Chadema, is a centre-right political party in Tanzania.
Freeman Aikaeli Mbowe is a Tanzanian politician and former chairman of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo.
Anna Maulidah Valerian Komu is a Tanzanian politician. She was a member of Tanzania's ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) until the introduction of multiparty politics in Tanzania. She is now a member of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA).
Edward Ngoyai Lowassa was a Tanzanian politician who was Prime Minister of Tanzania from 2005 to 2008, serving under President Jakaya Kikwete. Lowassa went into record as the first Prime Minister to have been forced to resign by a fraud scandal in the history of Tanzania. Following his resignation President Kikwete was obliged to dissolve his cabinet as required by the Constitution and with minimum delay, constituted a new one under a new Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda.
Hawa Abdulrahman Ghasia is a Tanzanian politician belonging to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and a three-term Member of Parliament for Mtwara Rural constituency since 2005. She is the former Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office for Regional Administration and Local Government.
Bernard Kamilius Membe was a Tanzanian politician. He served as a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania from 2007 to 2015. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Mtama constituency from 2000 to 2015.
The Chama Cha Mapinduzi is the dominant ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia. It was formed in 1977, following the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), which were the sole operating parties in mainland Tanzania and the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, respectively.
John Pombe Joseph Magufuli was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and was chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2019 to 2020.
Jenista Joakim Mhagama is the Minister of Health in Tanzania. She succeeded Ummy Mwalimu whose tenure in the role lasted 14 years. Mhagama is a politician belonging to the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, and was previously a Member of Parliament for Peramiho constituency. In December 2015, she was appointed as a Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled in President John Magufuli's administration. In January 2022, she was moved to the President’s Office Good Governance and Public Services.
Godbless Jonathan Lema is a Tanzanian Chadema politician and Member of Parliament for Arusha City constituency from 2010 to 2015. He was also a candidate for the same constituency in the 2015 general election which was conducted on 25 October 2015. However, the parliamentary election for Arusha Constituency had to be postponed following the death of Estomoh Malya who was the parliamentary candidate for the Alliance for Change and Transparency, a newly established opposition political party in Tanzania.
Tundu Antiphas Mughwai Lissu is a Tanzanian lawyer, CHADEMA politician and Member of Parliament for Singida East constituency from 2010 to 2020..He is the current chairman of CHADEMA, Tanzania leading opposition political party.
General elections were held in Tanzania on 25 October 2015. Voters elected the president, members of Parliament, and local government councillors. By convention, the election was held on the last Sunday of October and was supervised by the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Political campaigns commenced on 22 August and ceased a day before the elections.
Chama cha Ukombozi wa Umma (CHAUMMA) is a political party in Tanzania. Hashim Spunda Rungwe, chairman of CHAUMMA since 2014, was the first politician in the party's history to run for president when he stood in the 2015 Tanzanian general election. Many CHAUMMA members were previously aligned with NCCR-Mageuzi, including Rungwe, who unsuccessfully contested for president as the NCCR-Mageuzi candidate in the 2010 Tanzanian general election. Rungwe states that CHAUMMA's participation in elections depends on whether the dominant political party, CCM, allows an even playing field for opposition parties. The party's main objectives are increasing happiness, decreasing unemployment, and revitalizing the economy.
The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential primaries, 2015 took place in July 2015 to determine CCM's nominee for the Presidency of Tanzania for the 2015 election. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi is the country's dominant ruling party, and the longest reigning ruling party in Africa.
The 2020 Chama Cha Mapinduzi presidential primaries took place in July 2020. Incumbent president and 2015 nominee, John Magufuli ran unopposed for his second term for the President of Tanzania and so there was no primary vote for the Union presidency position. However, Zanzibar president Ali Mohamed Shein is ineligible for re-election due to term limits and a primary was held to determine the Zanzibar presidential nominee. The winners of the primary are the CCM candidates for the 2020 Tanzanian general election and the 2020 Zanzibari general election.
General elections were held in Zanzibar on 28 October 2020 alongside the Tanzanian general elections to elect the President and National Assembly of the Semi-autonomous state of Zanzibar. Voters elect the president, Zanzibar House of Representatives and local government councillors. By convention, the election was held on the last Wednesday of October and is supervised by the Zanzibar Election Commission.