The disqualification of the opposition candidate, Luhaga Mpina of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo), Tanzania’s third-largest political party, was announced by the party on Wednesday, according to AFP.
Tanzania’s electoral commission has barred an opposition presidential candidate, set to run against President Samia Suluhu Hassan in elections scheduled for October 2025, from participating in the upcoming elections.
The disqualification of the opposition candidate, Luhaga Mpina of the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo), Tanzania’s third-largest political party, was announced by the party on Wednesday, according to AFP.
The move comes amid growing concerns from rights groups and international observers over what they described as an escalating crackdown on the opposition ahead of the polls.
The ACT Wazalendo said Mpina was prevented from submitting his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
According to the party, Mpina had collected the forms but was stopped at the commission’s entrance on Wednesday and later informed via a letter that he was barred because “he lacked qualifications.”
ACT Wazalendo condemned the decision, calling it “embarrassing” and warning that it “raises serious questions regarding the integrity, diligence, competence and independence of the Commission.”
“This is a dangerous precedent for the future of our nation and our democracy,” AFP quoted the party as saying in a statement.
The opposition party added that if allowed to stand, the decision would mean candidates could be “arbitrarily disqualified” at the whim of an individual rather than through a lawful judicial process.
ACT Wazalendo pledged to challenge the electoral commission’s ruling in court.
Campaigning for the elections is set to begin on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who came to power in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, is seeking a new term.
President Hassan served as Tanzania’s first female vice-president from 2015 to 2021 before becoming the President.
Her government initially pledged reforms and greater political freedoms, but opposition groups say the space for dissent has continued to shrink.
Opposition figures have faced harassment, arrests, and legal battles in recent years.
Lissu, who has been one of the country’s most prominent opposition leaders and a former presidential candidate, has been in detention since April on treason charges that carry the death penalty, further intensifying concerns about political freedoms in the country.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously accused Tanzanian authorities of using state institutions to silence political opponents through arbitrary arrests, restrictions on rallies, and biased application of electoral laws.
Observers warn that the latest decision to bar Mpina from the elections could deepen concerns about the credibility of the upcoming polls and Tanzania’s democratic trajectory in the region.
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