Inside Chadema's letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres

Dar es Salaam. A letter written by Chadema to UN Secretary General, António Guterres comprises of six key issues, including the need to accelerate the new constitution writing process.

Other issues are the withdrawal of three electoral bills that were submitted in Parliament on November 10, 2023 and the need to table in Parliament a transitional amendment of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) Constitution of 1977 to facilitate free and fair elections in the country.

Others are the need for a bill to mandate the National Electoral Commission (NEC) with a role to oversee civic polls, instead of the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) and withdrawing from Parliament amendment bills for the Political Parties Act and the Electoral Expenses Act.

The main opposition party also wants the government to take decisive measures to alleviate life hardships facing Tanzanians.

However, the three electoral bills were expected to be endorsed by Parliament on Friday, February 2, 2024, after four days of debates.

Chadema’s letter containing the six issues was submitted to the UN Dar es Salaam office at the climax of a peaceful demonstration organised on January 24, this year.

Addressing party cadres, members, supporters and journalists, the party’s chairman, Freeman Mbowe said: “We have submitted a letter to the UN System Coordinator in Tanzania and we expect the same will be submitted to the UN Secretary-General in New York.”

However, the letter seen by The Citizen, says the petition was submitted on the party’s behalf and the People of the United Republic of Tanzania, requesting the intervention of the UN and its affiliates by strongly advising the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to respect the peoples demands.

“The bills submitted to Parliament on November 10, 2023 should be withdrawn from Parliament because they address cosmetic reforms and do not address the fundamental problems of the electoral commission’s structure and election laws,” reads part of the letter, noting that Chadema proposes and demands several actions.

In the letter, Chadema wants the government to table a bill in Parliament aimed at expediting the new constitution writing process alongside a roadmap for undertaken steps to fully obtaining the document.

The government should submit to Parliament, the opposition party says, a bill for transitional amendment of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) Constitution of 1977 to address the current shortcomings in order to have free and fair elections in the future.

“Laws are enacted in accordance with the Constitution which currently has many flaws, therefore affecting the enacted laws. Regarding local government elections, the government should submit a bill to Parliament where, among other things relating to elections, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will be given the authority to oversee local government elections instead of the President's Office for Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG),” reads part of the letter.

“The Bill amending the Political Parties Act (as amended in 2019) and the Electoral Expenses Act should be removed because it does not address the current challenges. Instead, the current bill grants more authority to the Registrar of Political Parties and imposes more restrictions on political parties,” reads another part of the letter.

The letter says additionally that the bill to amend the Political Parties Act hasn't been taken into account and has ignored the order issued by the East African Court of Justice on some sections of the law analysed to violate the East African Community Treaty.

Regarding the rising cost of living, the letter says the Party calls on the government to take decisive measures to alleviate the hardships people were facing, most of whom were living in abject poverty.

“Decisive measures include reducing taxes and levies on essential goods and services and introducing austerity measures by eliminating luxury spending in government,” reads the letter.

“Combating rampant corruption in the government and presenting a plan and strategy in Parliament aimed at uplifting citizens from difficult living conditions. They should include lowering prices of essential goods or subsidizing some products,” reads another part of the letter.

Peace and Security

In its evaluation of the electoral bills, Chadema says it has observed that there was a lack of commitment in fostering for free and fair elections, therefore undermining the country’s peace and security.

“The bills fail to address recommendations for an Independent Electoral Commission as highlighted by the President's task force, election observers, and stakeholders. The government has neglected court decisions and undermined the rule of law,” according to the letter.

Election support

The opposition party says the UN assessed the Tanzania elections in 2022 and came up with several corrective measures aimed at preventing future repetition.

However, Chadema says the government’s refusal to receive election support testifies that there were hidden ill intentions behind its decision.

“The UN and the international community should find possible means to ensure all recommendations by the UN mission are respected and adhered to,” the letter says.