Nation awaits polls results amid opposition complaints

Dar es Salaam.  Vote counting started on Wednesday evening after Tanzanians went to the polls to elect their local government leaders.

Despite some complaints of irregularities by the opposition, the exercise was largely incident-free in various regions.

Wednesday’s local government elections, which were supervised by the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government’s), are viewed as a litmus test for President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration as the country heads to the General Election next year where Tanzanians will elect councillors, members of parliament and the president.

In a number of polling stations, the actual voting exercise started as early as 8am and continued until 4pm.

 At that time, those who were already on the queue were allowed to proceed and cast their votes while those who had not queued up to that time could not make it.

In some areas, actual counting in major urban centres started at around 6:00pm and preliminary results started trickling in by around 8:00pm.

The turnout was reported to be good in some regions while in Mwanza, rains disrupted the exercise to some extent.

“Though there have been some challenges here and there, generally, the turnout has been quite good,” said the director of training, evaluation and monitoring for the opposition Chadema for Musoma Municipality, Mr Julius Mwita.

 He spoke to journalists after visiting 35 polling stations in the area.

The CCM chairman for Musoma District, Benedict Magiri, shared similar sentiments.

 “Today, there was even a police officer standing by to mark the last person to arrive, signaling that the deadline had passed. Overall, all polling stations were very busy, much more than in previous elections,” Magiri explained.

In Dodoma, a clash broke out at the Site One polling station in Mlimwa Street, Kiwanja cha Ndege ward, when Aisha Madoga, the Chairperson of Chadema in Dodoma Region, was involved in an altercation with election officials.

 The Director of Dodoma City and Election Supervisor Dr Frederick Sagamiko, revealed that the incident occurred on Wednesday when Madoga arrived at the polling station with individuals who were not registered residents of the area but were allowed to vote.

The incident did not however disrupt the voting exercise which continued and ended peacefully.

In Kibaha, the chairman of the opposition Chadema for Coast Region, Bumija Senkondo was detained by the police for over six hours following an incident at the Mkongoni polling station.

 Bumija recounted that he had received information from Chadema agents stationed at the polling station, who claimed they had discovered ballot boxes filled with pre-marked ballots.

After more than six hours in detention, Bumija and Rogathe Moses were released on bail, with instructions to report back to the police the following day for further investigation.

In Mwanza, the police arrested four individuals, including the Chadema Secretary for the Nyamagana District Amos Ntobi on charges of attempting to steal a ballot box from a polling station.

The Mwanza Regional Police Commander Wilbrod Mutafungwa confirmed the incident but the opposition party’s Lake Victoria Zone Secretary, Zacharia Obad, denied the allegations, claiming the party agents had not stolen a ballot box.

 “It’s not true. The agents didn’t steal the ballot box.  In fact, they had taken possession of the box, which already contained marked ballots, and when they called for help, they were turned against and arrested,” Obad said.

Earlier in the day, President Samia Suluhu Hassan cast her vote at Sokoine Polling Station in Chamwino, Dodoma where she used the occasion to urge Tanzanians to exercise their democratic rights peacefully.

The elections, held every five years, were conducted across Tanzania Mainland to elect leaders for 12,333 villages, 4,269 neighbourhoods, and 64,274 hamlets.

President Samia expressed optimism about the election’s progress, citing improved voter turnout at her polling station compared to previous years.

 She urged voters to maintain peace and respect throughout the process.

 “My second call is for voters to act safely and respectfully.  Any disruptions to peace are unacceptable.  Let us ensure that this election and all others are conducted harmoniously,” she added.

While the election was generally peaceful, challenges were reported in several polling stations.

 Many voters struggled to locate their names in the voter registry, causing delays and frustration.

At Ilala Boma Polling Station in Dar es Salaam, Ms Erica Jeremiah expressed her concerns about the arrangement of voter names.

 “This arrangement is confusing.  For an elderly person like me, it becomes even harder,” she said.

 Voters suggested arranging names alphabetically to make the process more efficient.

In Tabata Segerea, Ms Farida Athumani noted that finding names was time-consuming.

 “It would be much easier if the names were arranged alphabetically,” she said.

Other voters highlighted delays that discouraged participation.

 “The majority of young people have opted to pursue income-generating activities and plan to return later to vote,” said Mr Karim Hassan at Juhudi Polling Station in Mwembe Madafu Neighbourhood, Dar es Salaam.

In Mbeya Region, Mr Emmanuel Elias reported confusion regarding polling stations.

 “I’ve been here since 7a.m., but I can’t find my name on the list.  The writing is unclear,” he said.

Geita Municipality Executive Director Yefred Myenzi explained that names were displayed as registered to avoid complaints of tampering.

 He acknowledged the need to improve organisation in future elections.

In Singida Region, the police detained a prison officer in connection with the death of one person during an altercation between supporters of the ruling CCM party and the opposition party Chadema.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Singida Regional Police Commander Amon Kakwale, the incident occurred on the night of November 26 at around 11pm in the Stendi neighbourhood, Mkwese Ward, in the Manyoni District of Singida.

Mr Kakwale stated that the violence erupted after CCM supporters, who were attending an internal meeting at a private house, were ambushed by Chadema supporters.

 The confrontation took place near a local prison, where prison officers were alerted about the disturbance.

In Mwanza, heavy rainfall hindered voter turnout in several areas, with some citizens reporting difficulty finding their names in the voter registry due to soaked and damaged papers.

The rain, which began at 7:30 a.m. shortly before polling stations opened and continued until 11:30 a.m., has affected various parts of Mwanza.

In several polling stations across the region, including Nyanza in Mkolani Ward, Bohari in Butimba, Igombe in Pamba, Nyamarango in Luchelele, and Nyamagana Stadium, voter turnout was noticeably low, with some stations seeing no voters at all.

At Kabambo and Kitangiri polling stations in Ilemela District, complaints were raised by voters who found their names difficult to locate, as the voter lists were soaked and torn by the rain.

Levin Alfred, a resident of Kabambo, explained that the wet ballot papers had made it impossible for him to identify his name.

 He had to queue for further verification in a special register at the polling station’s desk.

”The biggest challenge is finding our names. Some people can’t find theirs, and time is running out, making it difficult to vote. I haven’t seen my name yet, so I’m going to check the register,” Alfred said.

President Hassan expressed confidence that Tanzanians would elect capable leaders to support community development.

The elections follow the 2019 civic polls, which were boycotted by the opposition over concerns of alleged irregularities.

 This year’s elections are viewed as a significant step in strengthening grassroots democracy and fostering social and economic progress.

Election observers have recommended addressing organisational shortcomings to ensure smoother future elections, particularly the upcoming General Election.

Reported by Sharon Sauwa and Rachel Chibwete (Dodoma); Ramadahan Ismail, Salome Gregory, Gadiosa Lamtey, and Julius Maricha (Dar es Salaam); Saddam Sadick (Mbeya); Rehema Matowo (Geita) and Beldina Nyakeke (Mara)