Observers say Tanzania’s presidential vote is already flawed

Tanzania’s opposition faces a new obstacle in its quest to unseat President John Magufuli in Wednesday’s election: It says the government has made it difficult to accredit thousands of opposition electoral observers who want to ensure the vote is fair.

“Without them, fraud can occur easily,” Zitto Kabwe with the ACT Wazalendo party, a major player in an opposition coalition, told The Associated Press. He warned that the issue could lead to violence, saying his party won’t allow polling stations to operate without the observers, “and that’s why it’s an explosive issue.”

At stake is one of Africa’s most populous and peaceful countries and, at least before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of its fastest-growing economies. The populist Magufuli has been criticized for severely stifling dissent since his 2015 election win, notably barring opposition parties from holding most public gatherings.

The president leads the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party that has held power for decades, and the opposition’s best chance of an election win comes in uniting behind a single candidate. But that hasn’t been easy.

The two leading opposition parties, ACT Wazalendo and CHADEMA, finally overcame differences in ideology and ambition and last week to unite behind Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA, who this year returned from exile. He had fled to Belgium after a 2017 assassination attempt in which he was shot 16 times.

Kabwe called Lissu the most popular candidate among the 15 presidential hopefuls, citing the crowds that have attended his rallies and discussions with fellow Tanzanians.