Tanzania’s Opposition Party Banned From Presidential Elections

Tanzania’s primary opposition party, Chadema, has been excluded from participating in this year’s general elections after missing a deadline to endorse an electoral code of conduct. The decision follows the recent arrest of Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges tied to his demands for voting reforms. 

Ramadhani Kailima, the elections director at Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission, confirmed on Saturday that Chadema’s failure to sign the mandatory document by the stipulated date disqualified the party from October’s parliamentary and presidential polls. He added that the party would also be barred from by-elections until 2030. 

Chadema had earlier announced its boycott of the code of conduct ceremony, framing it as part of a broader campaign for electoral justice. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the opposition and the ruling party,  Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has dominated Tanzanian politics since 1977 and is poised to retain power. 

Lissu, a vocal critic of the government, was arrested last week after addressing a rally in southern Tanzania where he urged reforms to ensure fair elections. He had been expected to challenge incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of her principal, President John Magufuli. Initially hailed for rolling back Magufuli’s authoritarian policies, Hassan now faces accusations of intensifying repression, including alleged arrests and kidnappings of political rivals. The government denies these claims, stating it has initiated investigations into the reported abductions. 

Under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election,” Lissu has long argued that Tanzania’s electoral system—particularly the president’s unilateral appointment of electoral commissioners—is inherently biased. Authorities allege his activism aims to incite rebellion and disrupt the electoral process. 

Currently detained pending a treason trial adjourned until April 24, Lissu’s legal team contends the charges are politically motivated. “These accusations cannot be divorced from politics,” his lawyer, Rugemeleza Nshala, told Reuters. 

Lissu’s fraught history includes surviving a 2017 assassination attempt, during which his car was struck by 16 bullets. He later fled into exile, returning briefly in 2020 to contest the presidency against Magufuli before leaving again, citing electoral fraud. His 2023 return followed reforms by Hassan’s government purportedly aimed at fostering political openness—a pledge critics argue remains unfulfilled as Tanzania approaches another contentious election cycle.