Tanzania

Tanzania has been governed by the large socialist party CCM since independence. Until 1992, Tanzania was a one-party republic, then a constitutional change officially introduced multiparty democracy in the country. However, the socialist party CCM is so historically integrated in the state that it continues to dominate Tanzania’s political life and controls the police, judiciary etc. while not respecting civic and political rights.

In the 1995 to 2015 elections, the opposition grew steadily, making the CCM  feel so threatened that they have done everything they can to limit the ability of the opposition parties to act: restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. Opposition politicians have been arrested for making critical statements about the president and government, and there has been assassinations, abductions and killings of both politicians and journalists. The opposition boycotted the 2019 local elections after 90% of their candidates had been rejected.

In the parliamentary elections in October 2020, a highly dubious election result led to the eradication of the opposition, who only won in eight out of 264 constituencies. All the leading opposition politicians lost their seats.

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