Tanzania

Since its transition to a multiparty democracy in the 1990s, Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has remained dominant due to its deep-rooted presence, particularly in rural areas. While the country’s democratic transition has been relatively peaceful, challenges persist, including allegations of bias favoring the ruling party, electoral irregularities, and voter intimidation, as seen during the 2020 general elections. In this context, The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), seeks to advance good governance and democratic rights in Tanzania.

Since 2015, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has supported the democratic aspirations of Tanzanians to strengthen and enhance their electoral processes. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tushiriki Pamoja, IFES is supporting electoral integrity and justice in the country. This includes providing technical assistance to the judiciary to develop an Election Dispute Resolution curriculum and training materials for judicial officers. IFES also supports civil society organizations’ work around legal reform, inclusive voter education, campaign finance, and Election Dispute Resolution. IFES has with civil society supported the election management bodies in Tanzania to promote increased citizen engagement and oversight of political and electoral processes in order to implement inclusive elections based on best practices from around the world. IFES has also supported meaningful dialogues and post-election reviews between various stakeholders to continue bolstering Tanzanian democratic institutions and systems in place.

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Election FAQ

Elections in the United Republic of Tanzania: 2015 National General Elections The United Republic of Tanzania will hold general elections on Sunday, October 25, 2015. Voters will select a new president, and cast ballots for 239 members of the Bunge (the unicameral National Assembly) and numerous local offices. October 21, 2015

News and Updates Feature Beyond Voting: CSOs Playing the Role of Watchdogs in Tunisia Civil society organizations are an important part of Tunisia's democratization process and can play a strong role in shaping the political culture. In this podcast, we discuss the roles of CSO as watchdogs against corruption and as educators for citizens' electoral rights. The podcast features Mouheb Garoui, the President and Founder of I Watch, and Samer Elchahabi, Sr. Program Officer for IFES in Tunisia and Libya. February 22, 2013

Publication Report/Paper Media, Elections and Political Violence in Eastern Africa: Towards a Comparative Framework A comparative report on post-election violence in Eastern Africa has been released by the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford, the Center for Global Communications Studies at the Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania, and the Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research.
December 2, 2009

Publication Report/Paper IFES International Observer Report: The October 29, 2000 General Elections in Zanzibar

This report details the observations of the IFES team from early October, the legal and procedural framework of the elections, the immediate pre-election climate, the election day, voting and selected counting activities. In addition, the report provides recommendations for the
government
of Tanzania and the international community on the steps needed to move beyond the politics of impasse.

January 15, 2001

Publication Report/Paper Report on East Africa Election Administration Symposium

This report summarizes IFES’ findings from the East Africa Election Administration Symposium, which took place in Arusha, Tanzania in August of 1997. The symposium focused primarily on electoral commission staffing and staff development and commission outreach to political parties, NGOs and the media.

August 31, 1997

Publication Report/Paper Republic in Transition: 1995 Elections in Tanzania and Zanzibar, IFES Observation Report

The goal of the report is to make a positive contribution to both the domestic and international audiences' understanding of the Zanzibar and Tanzania elections, so that a more accurate evaluation can be made of the fairness and legitimacy of the 1995 electoral process, and so that procedural problems and systemic weaknesses can be identified for correction in future multiparty elections in Tanzania.

November 30, 1995

Meet the Experts

C.A. Lamin Lighe Country Director, Tanzania