The opposition has demanded a re-run of the October 28 vote, citing widespread irregularities, and called for peaceful protests on Monday against the outcome, which returned President John Magufuli to office with 84 percent of the vote.

Those arrested included Freeman Mbowe, chair of the Chadema opposition party; Godbless Lema,a former member of parliament; Isaya Mwita, a former mayor of Dar es Salaam; and Boniface Jacob, the former mayor of Ubungo municipality.

“We arrested four people including Freeman Mbowe last night and this morning we arrested three others,” said the Dar es Salaam police chief Lazaro Mambosasa.

“We arrested them in a meeting to organise the protests which we already banned. Some of these people travelled from upcountry to Dar es Salaam and are trying to use youths to take it to the streets.”

Mambosasa said those arrested had “admitted that they were organising criminal activities such as setting petrol stations, markets, vehicles and some government offices on fire.”

Mbowe, who was brutally assaulted in what he said was a politically-motivated attack in June, tweeted that his life was “in danger” on the eve of the election, accusing police of raiding his hotel.

Emmanuel Mvula, campaign manager with the ACT Wazalendo party, told The Associated Press news agency on Monday security forces were deployed in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam, where the two main opposition parties planned to march to the national electoral commission. The arrests, and a heavy security presence, appeared to have deterred potential protesters, and demonstrations never took place.

A joint statement issued later by Chadema’s presidential candidate Tundu Lissu and ACT Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe said Mbowe and the other Chadema leaders now face “terrorism-related offenses, which mean that they will not be eligible for bail”.

Lissu and Kabwe added: “We believe that there have been attempts to arrest the two of us.” Scores of ACT Wazalendo members remain in custody in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, they said.

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The statement called on other countries to condemn the Tanzanian government for its “tyrannical behaviour” and said protest efforts will continue.

US Ambassador Donald Wright said reported arrests were of “extreme concern”.

Source – https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/2/tanzania-police-arrest-opposition-party-leader-ahead-of-protests

The post Tanzania opposition leaders held, post-election protests foiled appeared first on Daily Concord.

The parties released their proposals and expressed fears that the electoral body allayed at the weekend.The National Electoral Commission (Nec) held a meeting with all political parties last week in which they were told to sign new codes of conduct or risk being excluded from election campaigns.

Nec chairman judge (retired) Semistocles Kaijage said during the meeting that the body had completed receiving opinions about the draft regulations and that it was finalising the process.

Opposition parties fear that the regulations that will guide elections of ward councilors, Members of Parliament and the president will be gazetted without their inputs.

“We sent our comments in writing but Nec is finalising the process without any meeting with stakeholders to discuss the final draft,” said ACT-Wazalendo secretary general Ado Shaibu as he questioned the motive behind.

“The regulations have many flaws, we already have submitted our proposals. We could ensure that our inputs have been accommodated if we have a meet-ing with NEC, something that is not happening,” added Mr Shaibu at a press briefing.

Some of the gaps, according to him, include making it optional for the Nec to invite international observers and ban them from commenting on the elections until they are over and a report has been issued.”It should be mandatory to invite observers,” he said.

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He said the regulations also make it optional for returning officers to issue agents with copy of results.

Chadema is also protesting the absence of a clause that allows civic organisations to appeal once denied permit to participate in civic awareness.Chadema also wanted parties to be allowed to object a returning officer they doubt.

Nec director of elections Dr Wilson Mahera was quoted as saying that those are baseless claims as the com-mission was involving the parties thoroughly.

He said Nec has powers to make the regulations even without the involve-ment of the political parties.

Source – https://allafrica.com/stories/202006030491.html

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