Civic polls: Uproar over mass disqualifications, government speaks out

“If you find an office closed in a neighbourhood, there’s a supervisor above them called the Ward Executive, then a Director, then a Regional Administrative Secretary, and ultimately the Secretary-General. They just need to follow the process,” he said.

He added that many objections have been resolved through this system even when offices are closed.

He advised people to remain in their offices and said: “There’s no process that can’t be solved. If needed, they should call instead of writing letters. We’re available to address their issues 24/7, and those with issues have the contact numbers of the main PO-RALG officer.”

Meanwhile, several parties have expressed frustration over the process, accusing the authorities of unfair treatment and political bias.

The situation has raised questions about the integrity of the election process, with various parties pledging to take legal action and appeal the disqualifications.

Speaking with The Citizen ACT-Wazalendo’s Secretary General, Ado Shaibu, confirmed that many of their candidates were also disqualified, and their appeals had largely been dismissed.

He expressed disappointment with the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), which oversees the election process.

The GS explained that ACT-Wazalendo had submitted objections to election supervisors on August 8 and 9, but most of their appeals were dismissed.

“We’ve succeeded in only two cases in the north zone and Kigoma Urban, but everywhere else, our objections were rejected,” he said. However, the ACT-Wazalendo leadership has called for political intervention, claiming that the disqualifications were not based on legal grounds but were politically motivated.

Mr Shaibu emphasised that the ministry responsible for local government falls under the office of the president, making it necessary for the government to address the issue. “We need a political solution. These disqualifications appear to be politically motivated,” he said.

Chadema’s Director of Communication, Ideology, and External Relations for the party, John Mrema, voiced his concerns, focusing on the disqualification of candidates across the country, including Bukoba, Serengeti, and all in Iringa Municipality.

According to Mr Mrema, all candidates who had been approved by election supervisors were disqualified at the last moment, after objections were raised by candidates from the ruling party, CCM.

“Surprisingly, they’ve been disqualified based on objections raised by CCM candidates,” he said.

He went on to explain that the election supervisors had failed to follow proper procedures, particularly the requirement to publicly post candidate forms.

This, he argued, raised questions about how CCM candidates were able to file objections against their party’s nominees.

He also expressed disappointment over the lack of transparency in the process. “Candidates should have been informed about the objections and given a chance to respond. According to procedure, they should have had from the 10th to the 13th of the month to answer objections, but instead, they were simply disqualified,” he said.

He added that their party had already submitted formal complaints to the PO-RALG, seeking an investigation into the matter.

In all areas across the country where candidates were disqualified, Mr Mrema noted that attempts to appeal were blocked by the closure of election supervisor offices. “If PO-RALG truly wants a free and fair election, they should create a digital platform for submitting objections,” he said.

The Deputy Secretary General of the Civic United Front (CUF), Ms Magdalena Sakaya, shared that many of their candidates were disqualified due to alleged lack of English language proficiency, a requirement she argued was not part of the legal framework for candidacy.

“Our candidates don’t know English, but this conflicts with our laws. English isn’t even our national language, so how can a candidate be disqualified for not knowing English? Many of our candidates have faced this unjust disqualification,” she said.

Despite these setbacks, Ms Sakaya noted that the party had instructed its candidates to appeal the decisions.

She mentioned that they had received reports of widespread disqualifications, especially in Dodoma and Mtwara.

She indicated that the party’s leadership would meet to discuss the next steps.

“We will take serious action if our candidates are disqualified once again,” she warned.

With similar sentiments, Vice Chairman of NCCR-Mageuzi (Mainland) Joseph Selasini also highlighted that they had followed the procedure by filing appeals but had faced significant hurdles along the way.

He went on to say most of the objections were based on trivial issues, such as a single incorrect letter.

He also criticised election officials for removing candidates without providing adequate explanations.

“We were quite surprised. We agreed with PO-RALG that valid objections should involve issues like identity, citizenship, criminal history, or tax liabilities,” he said.

On the other hand, the CCM’s Secretary for Publicity and Ideology, Mr Amos Makalla, acknowledged that objections had been raised against candidates from all parties, including CCM.

He emphasised the need for fairness in the election process.

“Let’s not focus on one side. Our appeal to PO-RALG is to ensure fairness for all parties,” Mr Makalla said.