What political parties want before 2025 General Election

The resolutions were made at the end of a two-day political stakeholders’ conference, which discussed the state of democracy in the country ahead of the 2025 elections.

Presenting the resolutions, Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) chairman Ibrahim Lipumba said the multiparty political system is still the surest way of safeguarding and promoting economic growth.

On the Constitution, he said the process of obtaining a new supreme law based on the opinions of the people should be restarted.

Prof Lipumba added that the meeting recommended changes to the Constitution to promote democracy and ensure free and fair elections.

He said independent presidential candidates and the challenging of presidential results in court should be allowed.

“Presidential results should be announced only if a candidate wins at least 50+1 percent of the total vote instead of the current arrangement where the one with the most votes is declared the winner, regardless of their percentage of votes,” Prof Lipumba said.

The Political Parties Act of 2019 should be amended to promote democracy within parties and the country in general.

"Democracy stakeholders should organise and hold a meeting to resolve some of these challenges," Prof Lipumba said.

Proposed amendments to the Constitution and the National Election Act should be brought before Parliament as was the case in 1991 when political pluralism was reintroduced in Tanzania.

“These things need to done as soon as possible.”

Prof Lipumba added that other resolutions included the proposal that local government elections be managed by an independent institution instead of a government ministry.

The parties proposed amendment to the Public Service Act to make it possible for public officials a chance to run for political office and return to civil service if they are unsuccessful.

Closing the conference, Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi said it will work on the resolutions as well as the challenges that have been presented as a barrier to the prosperity of the society.

"The government has been reviewing several laws including the electoral law as a sign that it's committed to ensure a democratic society," he said.

He noted that the government was committed to continue upholding democracy by having dialogues for peace and prosperity of the country.

Highlighting what should be done to facilitate the forthcoming elections, political parties were of the view that it would not be possible to finalise a new constitution before next year, calling for a review of laws.

ACT-Wazalendo party leader Zitto Kabwe said to ensure free and fair local government elections, it was imperative to amend the electoral law and make reforms for the constitution.

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"The process of reviewing the constitution is taking unnecessarily long while a statement that had been issued by the Task Forse highlighted seven steps to attain a new constitution including forming a committee of experts but so far nothing has happened," he said.

Deputy Registrar of Political Parties Sisty Nyahoza said elections are not all about having a new constitution, but rather having professional and impartial election officers.

"If we have bad players, elections will not be free even with the new laws,” he said, adding that things like corruption during party nominations and competition between parties interfere with the process.

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CCM deputy secretary-general (Mainland) Namringi Macha said civic education was vital in the process of writing a new constitution.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan has shown true commitment to have a new constitution. We should now work together by following procedure to reach there," he said.

Mr Reginald Munisi of Chadema said the party does not trust the way elections are conducted and that happened in previous elections can happen again.

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"There is a need for civic education on the importance of participating in elections," he said.

US ambassador to Tanzania Michael Battle said dialogue is important towards ensuring democracy which is supposed to be open and inclusive.

"The US has partnered with Tanzania to learn from each other as both countries strengthen their democracies," he said.

Mr Battle stressed that Tanzania should not be forced to take a certain democracy but have its own that is owned by Tanzanians.

However, he noted, every democracy must have a free press and freedom of expression.

The head of international cooperation at the Swiss embassy, Mr Holgar Tausch, said that the ongoing process to review various laws including the electoral law is encouraging.

"Strengthening democracy is an end and means to strengthen the lives of the people," he said.