Tanzania’s Poll Chaos: AU Observers Report Electoral Irregularities

A scathing report on the recent general election that took place in Tanzania by the African Union (AU) Observer Mission has claimed that the election was marred by a lot of irregularities that compromised its credibility and fairness.

Controversy has been the order of the day in the election, which brought President Samia Suluhu Hassan her first elective term in office, as well as provided a majority in parliament to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

The election process was less than the principles and standards of what it takes to conduct a democratic election within the framework of the African Union, according to the mission of the AU.

The observers reported a lot of violations of the electoral process, such as ballot stuffing, limited access to media, and internet blackout, among others, that they claim undermined the integrity of the whole electoral process.

The report explained that voter turnout in most polling stations was conspicuously low throughout the country, implying voter apathy.

In a number of cases, the ones who actually voted in the elections were reported to have been given an opportunity to vote without presenting any kind of identification, which raises questions on the genuineness of the voter verification process.

It was also worrying to hear of ballot stuffing and multiple voting. The mission pointed out certain instances of voters receiving more than one ballot paper and certain polling stations being stocked with presidential ballot boxes alone, which is also an anomaly and therefore inaccurately reflects the results.

These measures, which the mission had just warned, were a serious undermining of the faith that the vote had been just.

Another issue that was condemned by the AU was the move by the Tanzanian government to shut down the internet during a crucial time of the election, such as voting, counting, and the transfer of results.

The media suppression, coupled with the blackout, did not favor transparency and prevented citizens from accessing timely information regarding the process.

In most instances, the mission reported that the number of votes counted at polling stations was not in agreement with those announced by the electoral authorities, and this added to the suspicions regarding the validity of the announcement.

These findings are in line with other concerns expressed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Observer Mission, who also cited low voter turnout, manipulation of the ballots and general failure to conduct democratic elections in accordance with the regional standards. Similar to the report of the AU, SADC found that the polls in Tanzania failed to comply with its Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, which form a primary guideline to transparency, fairness, and inclusiveness in elections.

Other than the AU and SADC, the domestic organizations have also voiced concerns of the election. The Human Rights Defenders of Tanzania and the Tanganyika Law Society came up with joint declarations saying that the violence, intimidation, and violation of human rights that accompanied the polls was condemnable.

In its conclusion, the AU Observer Mission declared absolutely that the 2025 Tanzanian election failed to live up to the principles of the organization, international commitments as well as international standards of a democratic election.

It called on the government and the electoral authorities to make drastic reforms, improve on transparency, and ensure that the future elections are in accordance with the true will of the people.

With the ever-increasing criticism, the administration of President Suluhu is under mounting pressure to address the allegations and begin to negotiate with the opposition groups and the civil society.

The final reports in detail by the AU and other observer agencies are likely to be issued in the next few weeks, therefore, influencing regional and international reaction towards the contentious election in Tanzania.