Tanzania’s Test: Can Free and Fair Elections Prevail?

The general elections in Tanzania next month are expected to be the most hotly contested in that country’s history. They present an opportunity for Tanzania to burnish its reputation as a stable and peaceful democracy.

But among some Tanzanians there is a feeling that the election terrain is unfair and tilted towards the ruling party. Will rising political tensions, a stalled process to reform Tanzania’s constitution, and reports of voter disenfranchisement threaten the prospects of peaceful and fair elections?

A panel of civil society activists from Tanzania and Zanzibar will identify key issues leading up to the elections and highlight recommendations for the U.S. government to encourage free and fair elections and democracy in Tanzania.

Speakers

• Rahma Bajun is the senior project coordinator of Restless Development.
• Agnes Hanti is a program officer for the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa.
• Ali Said is president of the Zanzibar Law Society.
• Harold Giliard Sungusia is director of the Advocacy, Legal, and Human Rights Centre.
• Sarah Pray (moderator) is a senior policy analyst for Africa in the Open Society Foundations’ Washington, D.C., office.