ACT Wazalendo withdraws from Political Parties Council, citing loss of legitimacy

Dar es Salaam. The Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) has announced its decision to withdraw from the upcoming Political Parties Council (PPC) meetings scheduled for March 12 and 13, 2025, citing the loss of legitimacy of the Council.

In a statement released on March 11, 2025, the party outlined several reasons for its decision, accusing the government of failing to uphold democratic values and address necessary electoral reforms.

ACT Wazalendo's National Leadership Committee made the resolution after a meeting held on March 10, 2025.

ACT Wazalendo accused the Political Parties Council, which is coordinated by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, of failing to meet its original purpose. 

The party claims that the Council has not provided a platform for constructive dialogue between the government and political parties to strengthen multi-party democracy, a key goal when the Council was established.

“The Political Parties Council has lost its legitimacy after failing to serve as a genuine platform for dialogue and collaboration among political parties. It was supposed to promote and safeguard multi-party democracy, but it has instead become a body that merely rubber-stamps decisions made by the government,” said ACT Wazalendo’s Secretary General, Ado Shaibu, in the statement.

Furthermore, the party alleged that the Council has been complicit in legitimizing electoral fraud and corruption, particularly regarding the Local Government Elections of 2019, the General Election of 2020, and the Local Government Elections of 2024. ACT Wazalendo claims that the Council did not address the electoral malpractices observed in those elections.

“Instead of being a platform for electoral reform, the Political Parties Council has been used to sanitize electoral fraud. The 2024 Local Government Elections were marred by irregularities, and the government has failed to implement the proposed reforms to ensure free and fair elections,” the statement continued.

However, the Chairman of the Political Parties Council, Juma Ally Khatibu, strongly refuted ACT Wazalendo’s claims, stating that the Council remains a legitimate body despite the party's withdrawal.

Khatibu pointed out that the Council is composed of 19 political parties, and the withdrawal of one party does not affect its legitimacy.

“The Council has 19 political parties, and its functions remain legitimate. In the past, one party withdrew, and we continued with our work,” Khatibu stated.

He also highlighted some of the Council’s achievements, particularly its role in advising the President on lifting the ban on political activities.

“This Council has achieved a lot during its tenure. For example, it was the Council, through its task force, that advised the President on the lifting of the ban on political activities across the country. We can now all see what is happening,” Khatibu added.

Despite the differing views on the legitimacy of the Council, ACT Wazalendo used its withdrawal as an opportunity to call on the government to take concrete steps toward electoral reform.

The party demanded the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission, a review of Tanzania's Electoral Laws—including those related to Zanzibar—and minor constitutional amendments to ensure future elections are free, fair, and credible.

“We have submitted a detailed analysis to the Registrar of Political Parties, outlining key reforms needed to guarantee that the 2025 elections are free and fair,” said Shaibu.

ACT Wazalendo also emphasized its commitment to defending the people's right to elect their leaders without interference. The party stressed that it would not accept being used to legitimize corrupt practices that undermine democracy.

“We will not be part of any effort that seeks to rob the people of their constitutional right to elect leaders of their choice, as outlined in Article 8 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania and Article 9 of the Constitution of Zanzibar,” the statement concluded.