The Panel would like to take this opportunity to commend the willingness of the people of
Tanzania to take part in the electoral process which is a testament to their commitment to a participatory democracy as stipulated in Article 3 and 8 of the United Republic of Tanzania constitution. The Panel expressed concern about recent events and reports observed during the election day which dampen the credibility of the electoral process

The Panel is, however, deeply concerned over reports of escalating tension in Zanzibar on the eve of the polls. Reports of killings, brutality and harassment by state security forces in both Unguja and Pemba
underlie a worrying trend. There are legitimate concerns that the heavy police and army deployment across Zanzibar is intimidating residents and creating fear and despondency that could deter voters from turning out. We deplore the excessive force used by Police in responding to protesters by tear-gassing and other callous acts in Zanzibar.

We appreciate the critical role of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) as an important stakeholder in the elections and urge the authority to exercise its mandate with maximum impartiality as a quasi-independent government regulator. We appreciate the critical role of the TCRA in enabling or limiting the free exchange of information during this crucial democratic moment and wish to implore you to adhere to international best standards for such regulations as enshrined in the African Commission’s Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa.

We call upon you to exercise your mandate in ensuring that, the elections are free, fair and credible. In particular, we call upon the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) to ensure that the elections are conducted in a manner that inspires public confidence and that the voting, results tallying and transmission process is, transparent and accountable as prescribed in numerous international treaties, to which Tanzania is party to. We observed the conduct of the commission especially in the disqualification of candidates before this election, which raised concerns on the impartiality of the ZEC. We have noted complaints by the stakeholders of the elections regarding the Permanent Voters Register (PVR). We also note with concern, questions raised over the credibility of the voters’ register…

We would like to raise our concern that the conduct of the commission so far (going to the elections), does not pass the basic tests, of an independent and impartial election management body, as set out in several international treaties and standards, to which Tanzania is a party to. The standards are set out in the SADC Principles and Guidelines for the conduct of Democratic Elections, as well as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The disqualification of candidates at both the parliamentary and councilor levels, raised concerns on the integrity, impartiality and transparency of the electoral body.