Tanzania 2025 elections: Call for neutral state institutions to ensure fair competition

An elderly voter casts her ballot at Wazo Hill polling station in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on October 28, 2020.  PHOTO | AFP via Getty Images

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is approaching the highly anticipated 2025 general election, and the old pet peeve is rearing its ugly head again.

As a result, the spotlight is turning sharply on the neutrality and integrity of state institutions — including the police, military, judiciary, and state-owned media, the independent national electoral commission (INEC), and the office of registrar of political parties (ORPPs) — whose conduct will either solidify public trust or undermine the entire democratic process.