Two parties delay rallies amid legal and logistical challenges
Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) director Ramadhani Kailima (left) during the handover of a car to Doyo Hassan Doyo of the ADC Party after meeting qualifications for the presidential race. PHOTO | INEC
The staggered start to the campaign season reflects the delicate balance smaller parties must manage between logistical challenges and legal compliance
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s election season officially began on Thursday, as flagged off by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, the start was staggered after two political parties—the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) and the National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA)—postponed the launch of their campaigns for various reasons.
According to INEC’s schedule, ADC was expected to kick off its presidential campaign rally in Mwanza, while the NRA was set to launch in Kigoma. The ruling party, CCM, was allocated Dar es Salaam for its campaign.
By the end of the day, however, it was only CCM that adhered to the planned schedule, while the other two parties chose to delay their campaign launches.
ADC’s leadership explained that they had decided to postpone their rally due to uncertainty regarding the clearance of their presidential candidate. The party stated that they would take a “pause for 24 hours” to determine if any objections would be lodged against their nominee.
Shabani Itutu, ADC’s national chairman, told The Citizen, “We have postponed today’s rally to allow 24 hours for any objections against our candidates. Our presidential candidate is currently in Dodoma.
If all goes well, we will launch our campaigns on September 7 in Mwanza.” This statement highlights the sensitivity of this year’s elections, as parties aim to avoid premature launches that could be disrupted by legal or administrative challenges.
For the NRA, the delay was more logistical than legal. The party’s running mate, Mr Hamis Majukumu, explained that their convoy had started towards Kigoma but had to turn back due to what he described as a “difficult schedule.”
“We were forced to return to Dar es Salaam and suspend our trip to Kigoma because of scheduling challenges,” Mr Majukumu said. “We will reorganise ourselves and issue a new campaign timetable once we are ready.”
This situation underscores the challenges political parties face in coordinating nationwide rallies within the tight timeframe set by INEC.
So far, INEC has cleared 17 out of 18 political parties that met the requirements to field candidates for president, parliament, and local government ahead of the general election scheduled for October 29.
The only party still facing legal hurdles is ACT Wazalendo, whose presidential candidate, Luhaga Mpina, has been blocked from advancing. INEC ruled that the endorsement process for his candidacy did not comply with the party’s constitution, prompting ACT Wazalendo to file a case against both INEC and the Registrar of Political Parties.
Mr Mpina, a former CCM legislator for Kisesa, defected to ACT Wazalendo after failing to secure his former party’s nomination. His attempt to represent his new party has become one of the most closely monitored disputes of the election season.
With just two months remaining before polling day, the decision by ADC and NRA to delay their campaigns illustrates the delicate balancing act smaller parties must perform between compliance, logistics, and maintaining political momentum.
While CCM proceeded with its launch in Dar es Salaam, opposition parties are proceeding with caution. In the coming days, it will become clearer whether ADC and NRA can regroup in time to compete effectively against the larger parties and whether ACT Wazalendo’s legal battle will change the dynamics of the election landscape.
What remains evident is that Tanzania’s campaign season has commenced, not with a chorus of rallies, but rather with hesitation and postponement
