Thursday, October 29, 2015


The National Electoral Commission in Tanzania  (NEC), has declared John Magufuli the winner of Tanzania's general elections after scooping 58.46 percent of votes, defeating his nearest rival, Edward Lowassa from theopposition Chadema party, who obtained 39.97 percent of ballots.
However, Mr Lowassa who came second declined to sign the consent forms following earlier claims of fraud and demands for a recount of the tightly contested election.
Efforts to get comments from the Opposition were proved futile, as the coalition high-ranking officials couldn’t be reached over the phone.
Reliable sources said that the opposition officials were engaged in a meeting and would address the press conference to declare their way forward.
Immediately after the results were announced at around 5oclock east African time  by the chairman of the commission there some reaction from the political divide in the country
According to the Tanzania’s constitution, the results of presidential elections cannot be challenged in any court of law once declared by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Mr Magufuli, 56, a cabinet minister in the outgoing government led by retiring President Jakaya Kikwete, received 8.8 million votes against Mr Lowassa’s 6.7 million.
NEC Director, Ramadhan Kailima said Dr Magufuli, would be sworn in tomorrow at 10:00 aA.M east African time as a fifth Tanzania’s President.
His win continues CCM’s grip on power in Tanzania after governing the country since Independence in 1961.
Election observers have called for a speedy resolution of the stalemate in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous islands that make up the union with Tanzania, where elections were annulled on Wednesday over allegations of fraud.


Reports from different part of the country show that security have been beefed up as tension continue to mount on Chadema strong hold Regions.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015


TENSION is mounting across Tanzania, the East African nation after the results of the country’s most competitive election since independence started trickling in from Monday morning this week.

There are reports of widespread riots and heavy police patrols in the streets of big towns and cities as well as in remote trade centres.

 Although no casualties have been reported, there are fears that the riots would degenerate into violence, leading to injuries and possibly deaths.

The situation worsened on Wednesday afternoon after an official announcement by the authorities on cancellation of the Zanzibar presidential election results and  a statement by the opposition coalition presidential  candidate for Tanzania Edward Lowassa that he would not accept the results being announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) since Monday.

He spoke of massive fraud by NEC officials which  he alleges has denied his coalition some votes in favour of the ruling party CCM presidential candidate Dr. John Pombe Magufuli who is in a narrow lead against Mr. Lowassa for presidential vote figures already released.

Mr. Lowassa, the former prime minister who defected to the opposition in July this year after he was blocked from contesting Tanzania’s presidency on CCM’s ticket, has accused the government for using security officers to raid a vote tallying centre set up by the coalition.

He said volunteers hired by the coalition were still locked up and described the move as intimidation against the opposition now giving a strong challenge to the ruling party following the Sunday’s elections.

Arusha, Mr. Lowassa’s home area and a stronghold for the opposition has been tense for a couple of days and the coalition supporters want the international observers to intervene in the impasse on the elections, especially after the cancellation of the Zanzibar presidential vote tallying.

anzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) officials say they have cancelled the results, specifically the tallying of the presidential votes, on grounds that the process was marred   with irregularities. This, according to observers, could render the elections not free and fair.

As things become more complicated in Tanzania’s polls, Dr. Magufuli was still in the lead ahead of his close rival Mr. Lowassa from Chadema, one of the four parties making up the Ukawa coalition.

 Early results from the parliamentary elections suggested a tight contest between the two parties.

An opposition candidate for Zanzibar presidency Seif Sharrif Hamad  on Monday unilaterally declared himself the winner of the island’s presidential election. Immediately after the announcement, and security agents arrested 191 people during a night raid on the opposition.

Some 23 million Tanzanians were registered to vote and more than half of all voters live in nine major regions of the country, none of which is yet to report fully.
However, Mr Lowassa, who ran under the Ukawa opposition alliance, accused NEC of selectively releasing results from CCM strongholds.

He warned that delays in announcing official results could inflame tensions after the arrests of the party’s tally centre officials.

“All they were doing is collating results from polling stations across the country,” Mr Lowassa said at a press conference on Monday.

“We have been incapacitated, all our tallying centers have been raided and the volunteers incarcerated. This is so unfair.”

The whereabouts of the detainees, reportedly picked up during raids on different facilities in Dar es Salaam between midnight and the wee hours of Tuesday morning, are still unknown.

I also spoke to a law from Tanganyika Law society who explains wether there is a legal complication  to the Union if result have been expelled by ZEC.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Tanzanians are voting in presidential and general elections in what is expected to be the tightest race in the history of east Africa’s most populous country.
Long lines of voters began gathering hours before dawn on Sunday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s biggest city, with centres opening at 7am local time (0400 GMT) and queues moving quickly.
The presidential vote sees John Magufuli, of the long-ruling Revolution party (CCM), the narrow favourite, take on the former prime minister, Edward Lowassa, a CCM stalwart who recently defected to the opposition Democracy and Progress party (Chadema).
Both men have spent the past two months flying across the country, wooing voters and holding rallies attended by thousands of flag-waving supporters.
Analysts have warned that the unusually tight race could lead to tensions, with the opposition providing the first credible challenge to the CCM since the introduction of multiparty democratic elections in 1995.
In one of his final speeches of this campaign, Magufuli said: “I want to lead the country to development and good welfare. Everyone deserves a better life, irrespective of his or her political inclination.”
Many believe Magufuli, the current minister of works, for which he has earned the nickname the bulldozer, will face a tough challenge from Lowassa.
Lowassa was the prime minister from 2005 until his resignation in 2008 over corruption allegations, which he denies. He had been one of the CCM’s strongest supporters for years, but is now calling for an end to the party’s rule.
“This regime has outlived its usefulness,” Lowassa said at his final rally late on Saturday, repeating his calls to “kick CCM out of office, the regime that has failed the nation for all the 54 years it has been in office”.
The outgoing president, Jakaya Kikwete, who is unable to run for a third term in office under the constitution, has ordered the police to improve security to ensure calm.Lowassa, who cast his vote in Ngarash, in the northern Arusha district, said he was confident of winning as he called on people to vote peacefully.
Kikwete made a rare direct attack on Lowassa – a longtime former colleague – at a final rally for the CCM, describing him as “corrupt and greedy” and accusing him of illegally seizing land as lands minister.
Pius Msekwa, a former CCM vice-chairman and the vice-chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, said: “This is going to be the toughest but most exciting election in the country’s history.”
Polls close at 4pm (1300 GMT) and election officials say they expect the presidential election results within three days.
Goodluck Jonathan, the former Nigerian president and head of a team of Commonwealth election observers, told the candidates: “If you lose, accept defeat.”
Voters are also casting ballots in parliamentary and local polls on Sunday, including on the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, which is also holding presidential elections.
Magufuli and Lowassa have made repeated calls for the preservation of peace and national unity in speeches denouncing tribalism, religious violence and corruption.
On Zanzibar, campaigning has been largely peaceful, but residents have stockpiled food and water, fearful of possible unrest after the polls. Voter Rahma Ahmed said: “I am happy, as the mood of the voting seems good – and the exercise started on time.”
The leading candidates in the Zanzibar election are the current president, Ali Mohamed Shein, of the ruling CCM, and the vice-president, Seif Sharif Hamad, from the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), who are sharing power in a unity government.
After casting his ballot at a primary school in Bungi, about 15 miles (24km) south of Zanzibar City, Shein said: “I am confident of victory, and ready to serve Zanzibaris for the second term.”
SOURCE;the guardian

Thursday, October 15, 2015


DW: Special Coverage of the Elections in Tanzania 

The Kiswahili Service of DW has a special multimedia focus on the General Election in Tanzania during the whole month of October. 

On Saturday 24th  and Sunday 25th  listen to special reports in all three programmes in the morning, midday and evening. A particular roundtable discussion Maoni  with political experts on Saturday Midday. 

On the election day on Sunday live programmes with interviews and correspondents report from all over Tanzania. Also our partner stations will be participating and reporting what is going on in their region. We will keep you informed about  the situation in different parts of the country, the counting of votes with live reports and interviews. 

Listeners can send us comments and eye-witness news, videos and photos via e-mail:         Kiswahili@dw.comSMS                 +49 17 32 91 17 90 Facebook   www.facebook.com/dw.kiswahili WhatsApp:  http://bit.ly/1U3Wobl
During afternoon and evening transmission on Sunday these messages will be read live in the radio programme. 
Follow on Sunday 25th our live blog on Facebook www.facebook.com/dw.kiswahili 
Visit our special website: Uchaguzi wa Tanzania 2015 already now  http://www.dw.com/sw/idhaa-ya-kiswahili/uchaguzi-mkuu-wa-tanzania-2015/s-101616


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