The African Union (AU) observer mission has declared that Tanzania’s recent elections failed to satisfy international democratic standards. These elections were marred by violence.
The continental body released a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, reporting significant irregularities.
Integrity Compromised by Irregularities
The AU mission documented several critical issues that undermined the integrity of the poll:
- Ballot Irregularities: Monitors witnessed instances where voters were given multiple ballot papers. They also reported cases of ballot box stuffing.
- Exclusion of Monitors: Several members of the AU monitoring team were asked to leave polling stations. This happened before the counting process had concluded.
- Media and Civil Rights Restrictions: Media outlets faced imposed restrictions before the election. Furthermore, civil-rights groups encountered obstacles that hindered voter education.
- Digital Interference: A national shutdown of the internet also severely compromised the fairness of the polling process.
The government of Tanzania maintains that the election was fully fair and transparent. Nevertheless, incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the landslide winner of the disputed vote.
Disputed Victory and Post-Election Violence
President Hassan’s victory immediately triggered deadly protests. Opponents widely accused the government of committing electoral fraud. Demonstrations were also fueled by the exclusion of Hassan’s main political challengers.
The main opposition party, Chadema, was barred from participating. It claims it has documented hundreds of deaths resulting from the protests. Hassan, who was sworn back into office on Monday, acknowledged that fatalities occurred. However, she dismissed the opposition’s death toll as greatly exaggerated.
The AU mission avoided directly addressing the killings. But it stated it “regrets the loss of lives” and noted that the overall political environment deteriorated throughout election day. The continental body has called for urgent constitutional and electoral reforms in Tanzania.
The AU’s damning official report was released just days after its Commission chairperson had publicly congratulated President Hassan on her victory.
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