CCM DOMINATES PEACEFUL LOCAL ELECTIONS

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000825 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JTREADWELL, INR FEHRENREICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV TZ SUBJECT: CCM DOMINATES PEACEFUL LOCAL ELECTIONS ¶1. SUMMARY AND COMMENT: In a prelude to the 2010 national elections, on October 25 voters throughout mainland Tanzania participated in local elections to select members of their village and neighborhood councils. CCM, the ruling party, continued its dominance of local politics by collecting roughly 90 percent of the votes nationwide. A substantial proportion of races were uncontested CCM victories, a sign that the main opposition parties continue to lack the grassroots organization (and financial resources) to compete nationally. While the elections were generally peaceful, the process suffered from inefficiency and disorganization. Low turnout suggests a combination of poor voter education, apathy, and dissatisfaction with politics, all of which are likely to feature in 2010. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. ¶2. On October 25, voters in mainland Tanzania participated in local (village and neighborhood) council elections. While village level results have yet to be released, CCM, the ruling party, is reported to have won 90 percent of nationwide votes. The main opposition parties accounted for 7.1 percent (CUF) and 2.4 percent (CHADEMA). In numerous areas, particularly rural and inland regions where CCM has traditionally had its strongest support, CCM candidates ran uncontested (Note: Where all candidates ran uncontested, balloting was cancelled). Voter turnout was low; while accurate information is unavailable, estimates of 25-50 percent participation by eligible and registered voters have been reported, with lower turnout in urban areas. ¶3. The Prime Minister's Office of Regional Affairs and Local Government (PMO/RALG) orchestrated the polling in more than 70,000 stations across the country (Note: The National Electoral Commission is responsible for the Union presidential and legislative elections). Several observers commented that this local election was the best organized since multiparty politics began. Nonetheless, there were numerous reports of confusion and inefficiency during the registration process and at polling stations. ¶4. Emboffs, in election day visits to six polling stations in Dar es Salaam, saw ample evidence of procedures that made voting difficult. Many voters had difficulty identifying their proper polling station, because some stations failed to post lists of registered voters and others posted faint copies in no particular order. Some stations opened hours late or had inadequate space for voters, leading to long lines. Unlike in national elections, voters lacked pre-printed ballots with candidates' names; instead, all ballots were write-ins. While all polling stations posted the lists of candidates, some were difficult to read. The write-in requirement was a particular burden for illiterate voters; in some cases, literate helpers were accused of improper influence. Voters had little or no privacy. European observers also noted that a lack of clear instructions to voters led to some ballots being placed in the wrong box; during the counting, some election officials permitted these ballots to be counted but others did not. ¶5. Although we saw numerous voters agitated by long lines, delays and other organizational problems, reported incidents of violence or other disturbances were few. Low turnout may have contributed to the generally peaceful atmosphere, since larger numbers might have overwhelmed poorly managed polling stations. Several opposition parties complained that PMO/RALG's failure to release the names of candidates well in advance was unfair to opposition candidates. There were also some reports of PMO/RALG disqualifying opposition candidates shortly before the election. Otherwise, there were no allegations of tampering with the vote itself. LENHARDT