Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians went to the polls Wednesday to vote for street, village, and sub-village chairpersons and members of their respective consultative councils in a local government election filled with reports of political violence and ballot stuffing.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed the nation on Tuesday evening, urging registered voters to exercise their democratic right to elect their representatives. The Head of State emphasised that law and order should prevail throughout the process while insisting on electoral justice and fairness.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. nationwide and closed at 4 p.m. Voters showed up at the polling station where they had registered, where they had to locate their names and corresponding numbers from a long list of names plastered on the walls. They were only allowed to vote after showing this number to returning officers.
However, it was difficult for many voters to locate their names and numbers from the list as they were improperly arranged. Many voters wished at least the names had been placed in terms of sex or alphabet. Many voters found this process inconvenient, as someone would spend almost an hour looking for their names on the list.
The problem was even worse for people with vision impairment, as some names were hardly seen thanks to the weathering of the papers on which they had been printed. Some voters couldn’t even find their names.
READ MORE: Campaigns for Local Govt Elections Close in Tanzania. Here’s What We Observed for Seven Days
Besides this challenge, The Chanzo observed that other steps, like voting, went smoothly, with many voters expressing satisfaction with the exercise. Voters who spoke to The Chanzo said the exercise started at 8 a.m. sharp, as announced, with polling stations furnished with enough equipment to allow them to participate effectively.
However, opposition parties participating in the elections, especially CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, reported several issues and irregularities that led them to conclude that the exercise was neither free nor fair, forcing them to withdraw their candidates in some areas.
Election agents
Starting on the night of November 26, opposition parties complained about authorities refusing to give their appointed election agents introduction letters that would allow them to be at the polling stations to safeguard their candidates’ interests.
The problem was reported to be widespread, affecting mainly CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo, forcing some of them to withdraw from the election. In Iringa Uburn, for example, CHADEMA decided to withdraw from the race after authorities prevented the party’s election agents from accessing polling stations. CHADEMA also withdrew in Temeke, citing similar reasons.
The problem also affected CHADEMA in areas such as Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza, to name just a few. In Singida, CHADEMA was able to secure introduction letters for its election agents after the intervention of its deputy national chairperson (Mainland) Tundu Lissu, who distributed the letters to them on Tuesday evening.
READ MORE: Tanzania: Hopes for Free and Fair Elections Dwindle As President Samia’s Promised Reforms Hit a Snag
ACT-Wazalendo also complained about the same problem, saying that dozens of their election agents were denied introduction letters by local government authorities, which prevented them from accessing polling stations in various parts of the country.
Fake ballots
CHADEMA and ACT-Wazalendo reported encountering fake ballot incidents in various parts of the country. ACT-Wazalendo, for example, claimed to have arrested a candidate in Mwandiga, Kigoma, who had counterfeit ballots that he wanted to send to a polling station.
The party also claimed to have experienced the challenge in Nyamale and Nkome Center in Geita, where several people were arrested with fake ballots. CHADEMA said they seized six boxes of fake ballots at Nyantimba polling station in Nyaruntembo, Chato, Geita region.
CHADEMA also reported to have seized fake ballots in areas such as Bariadi (Nyashanda street) in Shinyanga, Msalala (Igudija village) in Mwanza, Kilosa (Dumila village) in Morogoro, Kibaha (Tangini, Pangani and Msangani wards) in Pwani, Igunga in Tabora, and Segerea (Kisukuru ward, Kuhanga street) and Ukonga (Chanika street) in Dar es Salaam.
On social media, people also shared several videos of people purportedly arrested after being found in possession of fake ballots that they were conspiring to plant at a given polling station. Some videos can be found here, here, and here, to mention just a few.
Political violence
ACT-Wazalendo and CHADEMA also reported several violent incidents connected to the ongoing elections, some of them already under police investigation.
The former, for example, reported on the physical attack against the party’s official in Igunga, Tabora, Erick Yugalila Venance, who was attacked in the early hours of Wednesday by unknown assailants, leaving him with severe bodily harm.
ACT-Wazalendo also reported on the physical attacks against their election agents in the Osunyai ward of Arusha, injuring several of them.
On its part, CHADEMA reported at least three incidents of alleged murder against their party officials and candidates. These include George Juma Mohamed, the party’s candidate in the Stand sub-village, Mkwese ward, Manyoni district, Singida region.
The party reported that unknown assailants attacked Mohamed at his house on the night of November 26 and shot him dead. Police confirmed the incident, saying an investigation into the matter was opened.
CHADEMA also reported the alleged murder of one of its leaders in Tunduma, Songwe region, Steven Chalamila, who was allegedly attacked by unknown assailants at his house, leading to his death.
The party also reported the alleged murder of Modestus G. Timbisimilwa, its candidate in Ulangoni A stree, Gongo la Mboto, Dar es Salaam, who allegedly died while being physically assaulted by law enforcement officers. Timbisimilwa was reportedly preventing the planting of fake ballots at a polling station.
Other challenges that political parties shared with the public include police harassment of party leaders and candidates, with ACT-Wazalendo reporting that police arrested two of its party officials in Tunduru as well as in Pangani, Tanga, where other party leaders were arrested.
However, according to the government, the election exercise across the country went well. This is according to Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa, whose Ministry of President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Tanzania (PO-RALG) oversees the election, who spoke to journalists briefly after casting his vote.
Polls closed at 4 p.m., and results are expected to come in as soon as later on Wednesday. However, PO-RALG will have 72 hours to collect election results nationwide before officially announcing them to the public.
