Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has claimed a resounding victory in the nation’s local elections, securing more than 98% of the available seats, according to official results released Thursday. These elections, seen as a critical indicator of the health of Tanzania’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2025 presidential vote, were marred by allegations of fraud and violence.
The opposition Chadema party reported that three of its members were killed in incidents linked to the polls. The election, which involved selecting over 80,000 local leaders, showcased CCM’s enduring grip on power. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s party retained the overwhelming majority of seats, with 18 other political groups dividing the remaining few.
Minister of State Mohamed Mchengerwa, overseeing the electoral process, announced the results and called for the swift swearing-in of the newly elected leaders. The elections served as a preliminary test for Hassan, preparing for next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Chadema, Tanzania’s main opposition party, has called for an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the election outcomes. Last week, the party protested the unjust disqualification of many of its candidates.
Tanzania, home to 61 million people, has long been considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies. Since gaining independence in 1961, the CCM and its precursor, the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), have remained in power. However, the CCM has faced accusations of growing authoritarianism, particularly in the lead-up to these elections.
President Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, initially earned praise for loosening restrictions on opposition groups and the media. However, human rights organisations and Western governments have recently criticised her administration for what they describe as a return to repression. Reports of opposition arrests, abductions, and killings have raised serious concerns.
The Catholic Church has joined in condemning the violence, with Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi describing the situation as a trying period filled with pain and suffering and lamenting the lack of strong condemnation of such acts.
The opposition previously boycotted local elections in 2019, citing violence and intimidation, which resulted in an uncontested CCM victory.
