Tanzania's vote marred by fraud, intimidation and media bias: AU

The African Union has released a stinging indictment of the just-concluded Tanzanian elections.

In its preliminary report, AU has exposed major flaws including glaring inconsistencies, ballot stuffing, locking up of opposition candidates and the internet shutdown, which is says compromised the integrity of the exercise.

The 55-member continental organisation also declares that the disputed polls did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.

“The mission observed peaceful closing procedures at several polling stations. In some of these stations, observers noted some compliance with procedures such as reconciliation and tallying. However, at other stations, observers noted that ballot counts did not tally. The mission also observed some ballot stuffing at several polling stations, where voters were issued multiple ballots to vote, compromising election integrity,” says the report.

According to an African Union Election Observation Mission preliminary report issued on Thursday by former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, the environment surrounding the elections before, during, and immediately after was not conducive.

The report has also spotlighted the electoral commission and other agencies, noting that their level of preparedness was inadequate to address the challenges that compromised the polls integrity. 

In this regard, Tanzania has been urged to prioritise electoral and political reforms, which should be transparent, inclusive and open to divergent views.

“The mission regrets the loss of lives following election day protests observed. Our heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families. The mission further regrets the damage to private property and public infrastructure arising from the election-related protests. Citizens are encouraged to always pursue democratic and peaceful means to express their discontent,” reads the report.

AU emphasized that security institutions must exercise restraint and respect human rights at all time, and called for transparent investigations to ensure justice for those affected by the deadly protests. 

In its highlight of the electoral malpractices, the report notes that most of the instances were noted in polling stations where only the presidential ballot box was set up, which were manned only by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, including in Zanzibar. 

During the counting, several of observers were asked to leave the stations, contrary to the INEC and Zanzibar Election Commission procedures. 

At some stations, some people were allowed to cast their ballots without their identity documents being verified on the voter register, while others were given multiple ballots in full view of observers. 

“The mission managed to continue observing the voting processes at some polling stations but was unable to do so at others due to outbreaks of protests and violence in their deployment areas. In other cases, observers were asked to only observe voting for five minutes at each polling station, which limited their access to the voting process,” the report states.

The observer mission also observed low voter turnout across all polling stations, raising questions of the figures released by INEC. 

The agency declared an unprecedented 87 per cent voter turnout, with President Samia Suluhu garnering about 32 million votes in a country whose total registered voters number 36 million, nearly a 98 per cent. 

The mission was deployed across 17 regions of Tanzania, observing the opening of 28 polling stations.

Voters arrived early in the morning and short queues, averaging one to 15 voters, were observed at some stations (37 per cent) before opening. At most stations (63 per cent), there were no queues when the stations opened.

The AU has also noted the political intolerance that preceded the elections, which inspired violent protests during and after the polls.

The mission noted than the main opposition party, Chadema, refused to sign the code of conduct and boycotted of the General Election, citing the government’s failure to implement the proposed electoral reforms.

“The subsequent arrest and prosecution of Chadema Chairperson Tundu Lissu on treason charges, and the arrest of Vice Chairperson John Heche on immigration charges, as well as the High Court’s banning of the party from conducting any political activity due to allegations of disproportionate use of party resources, incapacitated the main opposition,” says the report.

Additionally, the AU noted that the Suluhu administration disqualified Luhaga Mpina, the presidential candidate for ACT-Wazalendo, on the grounds of non-compliance with nomination and endorsement requirements, further diminishing competitiveness unlike in previous elections.

Some of the key constitutional reforms that were not implemented included appointing commissioners for the INEC through an independent body, amending Article 41(7) of the Constitution to enable presidential election results to be challenged in court, and revising Article 67(1)(b) to allow independent candidates to contest in elections. 

“Some of the events leading up to the 2025 General Election therefore conflict with the African Union principles on the right to and freedom of participation in elections, as outlined in Article 4(1)(2) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and Article 13(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), including the decision of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights,” the report read.

On media coverage, the mission observed that access to major digital platforms was restricted during the election period, which subsequently resulted in the blocking of some social media platforms. 

“Across the country, numerous outlets were deregistered or banned, and journalists worked under restrictive reporting guidelines that curtailed press freedom and public access to diverse information. Traditional public media, especially radio, television, and print, showed a discernible bias in favour of the ruling CCM, restricting visibility for opposition parties and candidates. These issues highlighted gross inconsistencies with Article 17 of the ACDEG, which advocates for equitable access to both public and private media for all political actors during elections,” the report says. 

The mission was also concerned about a total internet shutdown in Tanzania during the mid-stage of the elections, which persisted until the departure of the AUEOM on November 3, a situation they described as unfortunate since it hindered citizens' access to information and limited election observers' ability to fully observe and report on crucial elements of the election process, such as voting, closing of polls, and counting of votes. 

The final AUEOM report with detailed findings, conclusions, and recommendations will be published within two months.