Tanzania’s presidential race has been narrowed dramatically after the electoral commission disqualified the candidate of the country’s second-largest opposition party, effectively clearing the path for President Samia Suluhu Hassan to face only minor challengers in the October polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Wednesday that President Hassan and her running mate, Emmanuel Nchimbi, had successfully submitted their nomination forms and would appear on the ballot for the October 29 vote.
The contest will proceed without CHADEMA, the main opposition party, which was excluded in April for refusing to sign the electoral code of conduct as part of its push for electoral reforms. INEC also rejected the nomination of Luhaga Mpina, the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), the second-largest opposition party.
Neither the electoral commission chairperson nor its spokesperson provided immediate comment on the decision.
Following the confirmation of her candidacy, President Hassan posted on X, calling on her Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to “maintain unity to ensure victory for our party and for God’s permission to return to serve citizens.”
CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu, who has been in custody since April on treason charges, remains unable to contest. He has denied all allegations. His detention, along with reports of disappearances of government critics in recent months, has drawn scrutiny over Hassan’s human rights record. The president, however, maintains that her administration is committed to upholding human rights.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties announced on Tuesday that Mpina had been disqualified after a complaint alleged his party failed to follow nomination procedures during its primaries. Mpina, a vocal critic of the government and former CCM lawmaker, had defected from the ruling party earlier this month.
Reacting to the electoral body’s decision, ACT-Wazalendo’s Secretary General Ado Shaibu said, “This decision is not only shameful but it is raising more questions about the integrity, seriousness, professionalism and the independence of the electoral commission.”
This election marks President Hassan’s first attempt at seeking a personal mandate since assuming office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. Nominations for presidential candidates officially closed on Wednesday.
