Tanzania’s president is permitted to compete in the October election; however, his main opponents are not

President Samia Suluhu Hassan will only have to contend with candidates from minor parties in October after Tanzania’s election commission on Wednesday disqualified the presidential candidate of the country’s second-largest opposition party from running.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hassan and her running mate, Emmanuel Nchimbi, submitted their candidacy forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission, which authorized their candidacies for the October 29 election.

Leading opposition party CHADEMA, which was disqualified in April for not signing the electoral code of conduct as part of its demand for electoral changes, will not participate in the poll.

The Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), the second-largest opposition party, announced on Wednesday that INEC had also refused to accept candidacy forms from Luhaga Mpina, its presidential candidate.

A commission official directed Reuters to the chairperson of the election commission, who did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

In a post on X following the approval of her nomination, Hassan urged her Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party to “maintain unity to ensure victory for our party and for God’s permission to return to serve citizens.”

After being accused of treason in early April, CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu has been incarcerated for more than four months. He has refuted the accusations.

Hassan’s human rights record has come under scrutiny in recent months due to Lissu’s arrest and the mysterious kidnappings of government critics. According to Hassan, her government is dedicated to upholding human rights.

Citing allegations from a party member who claimed the party had not followed nomination rules in the primaries, the Office of Registrar of Political Parties rejected Mpina on Tuesday.

Mpina, a former member of the ruling party in the East African nation’s parliament and a critic of the administration, left CCM earlier this month.

As said in a release on Wednesday, “This decision is not only shameful but it is raising more questions about the integrity, seriousness, professionalism, and independence of the electoral commission,” said Secretary General Ado Shaibu of ACT-Wazalendo.

After taking office after her predecessor John Magufuli’s death in 2021, Hassan is making her maiden attempt for the presidency.

On Wednesday, the presidential nominations concluded.