Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has condemned its disqualification from upcoming national elections, calling the move unconstitutional, just days after its leader, Tundu Lissu, was arrested and charged with treason.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), CHADEMA failed to sign the official election code of conduct, rendering it ineligible to participate in the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
However, CHADEMA’s legal counsel, Rugemeleza Nshala, rejected the decision, arguing, “A constitutional right cannot be taken away by a code of conduct created by the National Electoral Commission.”
Lissu, a prominent opposition figure who survived an assassination attempt in 2017, was charged last week with treason after prosecutors alleged he incited rebellion and called for disruptions to the electoral process during a recent speech.
His arrest and the party’s disqualification have sparked renewed concerns about political freedoms in Tanzania. Human rights advocates and opposition groups accuse President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration of increasingly targeting dissent, citing a spate of unexplained abductions and killings.
The government denies the allegations but has launched an investigation into the reports of abductions.
CHADEMA has long voiced dissatisfaction with Tanzania’s electoral process, accusing it of bias in favor of the ruling party. “Our position remains unchanged: no reforms, no elections,” Nshala stated.
Efforts to reach INEC for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
