Opinions differ on merging local and general elections

Dar es Salaam. Political experts issued different opinions on the idea of merging local government elections and the general election to enhance accountability and the effective utilisation of national resources allocated for election purposes.

Supporters of the idea believe that organising civic polls a year before the general election reduces leaders’ time to serve voters, noting that out of the five years of leadership, they actively and effectively concentrate in three years, with their focus directed at elections in the remaining two years.

They also say the separate convening of the said elections increases the amount of financial resources required for election processes that could be directed to the implementation of development projects as well as improving the provision of social services.

However, those who oppose the idea argue that Tanzania lacks the democratic maturity necessary to organise and oversee the election of multiple leaders from the grassroots to the national level.

They are of the view that the country should first strive to strengthen its democracy and organise more free, fair, and credible elections.

The political pundits raised their concerns when commenting on the transformation idea issued by some stakeholders, especially the local government elections slated for November this year and the 2025 general election.

Tanzanians proceed to the civic polls a year before the general election to elect government leadership for their respective villages, hamlets, and neighbourhoods.

The general election is responsible for the election of councillors, Members of Parliament (MPs), and the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

For Tanzania Zanzibar, citizens vote for the Isles President, members of the House of Representatives, and shehia leaders.

Reflecting on the three enacted electoral bills recently, the Tanzania Constitution Forum (TCF) board chairperson, Dr Ananilea Nkya, shared the idea of having the local government polls and general elections merged.

She said the move would free the country from avoidable costs that are currently incurred.

“Organising these elections separately weakens the country’s economy. Similarly, the time used for organising elections will be cut, increasing the leader’s accountability to their voters,” she said.

“Tanzania is still a poor nation that is obliged to use its expenditure to efficiently fund its development projects and improve the provision of social services to its people,” he said, adding that the move would enable the country to reduce borrowing.

Speaking to The Citizen during a recent interview, some leaders of political parties said that since it is unclear about the laws and regulations that will be used during the civic polls this year, the government should consider merging the two for smooth oversight of the election process in the country.

ACT Wazalendo’s Secretary General, Ado Shaibu, says merging the two elections wouldn’t be difficult because they are supervised by the same body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We have no reason to have these elections in different years. After the President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) has disowned the mandate to oversee the local government elections, I don’t see the reason these elections should be organised separately,” he said.

Mr Shaibu said the nation has to move forward in ensuring organised polls are free, fair, and credible.

Chadema’s protocol, communications, and foreign affairs director, Mr John Mrema, says organising these elections separately plunges the country into unnecessary costs.

“Voters who are qualified for both elections are the same under the same oversight body, INEC. We shouldn’t spend a lot of time organising elections; rather, the merger will assure the country of free, fair, and credible elections,” he says.

The CUF’s Protocol, Communications, and Foreign Affairs director, Mr Mohamed Ngulangwa, says this issue has two aspects, with the first being Tanzania’s delay in learning about democracy and free elections.

He said it marks 32 years of pluralism, noting the country has spent that period unsuccessfully learning about democracy and free, fair, and credible elections.

“Worsening the polls will mess up things. This is because any rigging will affect all levels of elections, including the election of local and national leaders,” he said.

However, he agrees that merging the polls will save time and costs used for organising the polls and spending them on developing the country.

“The idea is, however, opposed by the aspect of election effectiveness and quality. It could be worse and have negative impacts because of the difficulties of observing justice at all these levels,” said Mr Ngulangwa.

“Time will come when the country will acquire this capacity, but now for now. We need to keep learning the foundation pillars of free, fair, and credible elections and how to take them to higher heights by ensuring increased transparency in getting highly accountable leaders,” he said.

A political science lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Richard Mbunda, says merging elections would help the country significantly save financial resources.

“As a poor country, we need to smartly spend our funds. Merging the polls will reduce allocations made to fund elections because the nation will get leaders at all levels through the merged election,” he shares.

Dr Mbunda says since voters and the oversight body were the same, what will be increased is the number of ballot boxes and papers for the election of the added leaders.

He points out that local government elections are used by political parties as a measure of popularity ahead of their preparations for the general election.

“It would be much better if independent candidates stood for leadership positions in the local government instead of being nominated by political parties to comprehensively bring development at the grassroots level,” he said.

Another USDM political science lecturer, Dr Onesmo Kyauke, says not only the merger will reduce costs incurred by the government during elections but also political parties.

“The local government elections are usually very complicated, and many people do not participate in them. By combining them, it will increase the involvement of citizens,” he shares.

A political scientist from the University of Dodoma (UDOM), Dr Paul Loisulie, says that having two separate elections is still appropriate because of the complexity of managing and coordinating these elections if they are combined.

“Probably in the future when we will mark a significant improvement in coordination and management because challenges are still many in organising the two polls separately,” he said.

For his part, a political science and public administration lecturer at the State University of Zanzibar (Suza), Prof Ali Makame Ussi, says that considering the current circumstances, combining [the two elections] would increase the burden.

He said the country needs a solid foundation that aligns with the implementation of the CCM policies and the election manifesto of the incoming ruling party, noting that failure to align will further complicate implementation.

“It (the new government) should find local government leaders ready and well-versed in what the previous government accomplished, making it easier to connect the operational dots from the actions of the previous government to those undertaken by the incoming government in its tenure,” he explains.

However, Prof Ussi says the country should not only think about the costs of election preparations; rather, the focus should be on the performance and how elected leaders will drive the country’s development agenda.

“The prioritisation by all leaders, from the local level to the national level, can affect the implementation of development plans, especially when the new ones ascend into power,” he explains.

Efforts to reach the INEC chairman or director of elections were futile.