Chadema’s "No Reform, No Election" slogan sparks debate ahead of 2025 polls

Dar es Salaam . The Chairman of the Chadema Party, Tundu Lissu, has defended the party’s strong stance on the “No Reform, No Election” slogan, emphasizing that it is rooted in the need for electoral system reforms, which Chadema argues are crucial for a fair election process.

According to Lissu, the current system is biased against the opposition.

Lissu made these comments on Sunday, March 2, 2025, during a meeting with Chadema's senior leaders and members of the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) at the party's headquarters in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam.

The purpose of the meeting was to clarify the party’s position on the “No Reform, No Election” campaign, which is calling on the government to overhaul the electoral system before the 2025 general election in October.

Lissu explained that the campaign was endorsed during the Central Committee meeting on December 2-3, 2024, under Freeman Mbowe’s leadership. The campaign was further supported by the General Meeting held on January 21, 2025, also led by Mbowe, which was the same meeting that elected Lissu as party chairman.

Lissu won the chairmanship with 513 votes, narrowly defeating Mbowe, who received 482 votes after leading the party for 21 years.

During the meeting with the editors, Lissu highlighted that several commissions set up by former presidents, including those led by Justice Francis Nyalali and Justice Joseph Warioba, had recommended reforms to the electoral system.

Lissu was keen to clarify that Chadema is not advocating for an election boycott but rather intends to prevent the election from taking place under the current system. He stressed, "We haven’t sugar-coated this. We will call on Tanzanians to join us in opposing the current system and push for reforms."

In contrast, senior leaders from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), including Vice Chairman for the Mainland, Stephen Wasira, have publicly stated that the October 2025 general election will proceed as planned, asserting that no government body has the authority to delay it.

Wasira responded to Chadema’s position by calling those who claim the election could be postponed without reforms “dreamers,” urging Tanzanians to continue preparing for the elections.

Wasira made these comments during a public meeting on February 11, 2025, at the CCM Kirumba Grounds in Mwanza, where he reaffirmed that the election would take place once the Independent Electoral Commission announces the date, as mandated by the Constitution.

“We are stakeholders in the election, and our role is to use the state to bring about change for the people. So, we cannot be told there will be no election. If they want to enter the election, unfortunately, we welcome them because we have the capacity to defeat them. They accuse CCM of stealing, but what are we stealing?” Wasira said.

“I want to tell them that no one has the authority to postpone the election—no one! No government body or any other entity has the authority to delay the election. Article 41, Section 4 of the Constitution gives the Commission the power to announce the election date, and when the time comes, the Commission will announce the date,” he added.

Meanwhile, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, during a visit to the Tanga Region, urged citizens to continue registering in the permanent voters' register and to turn out in large numbers when the time comes to vote.