Independent Electoral Commission in Tanzania: A False Debate?

Abstract

The electoral discourse in Africa today is dominated by the question of the 'independence' of an electoral management body as one of the prerequisites for free and fair elections. The central issue in the discourse is 'what constitutes the basic tests of an independent body'. By overemphasising the structures and legal framework of an electoral body, institutionalists assume that the actors and the electoral body are distinctive. Drawing from the 'institution-actor dichotomy' frame of analysis, this article argues that both the structure and behaviour of actors are essential in assessing the independence of an institution. Using Tanzania as a country case example, this article argues that the National Election Commission (NEC) does not pass the basic tests of an independent institution and hence its credibility is questionable for the key stakeholders. For NEC to be independent and autonomous, major reforms not only for the body but also for the entire political system and culture are needed in line with competitive politics.

Unleveled Playfield and Democracy in Tanzania

“…These include the appointment procedures of the commissioners, lack of independent finance, lack of security of tenure of office by commissioners, and the utilization of senior government personnel at the regional, district and constituency levels. Under such circumstances, all stakeholders, except CCM, view NEC as partial (Makulilo 2009).…”

‘Watching the watcher’: an evaluation of local election observers in Tanzania

“…Based on these criteria, I would argue that TEMCO stood on the side that viewed NEC as an independent organ. Applying TEMCO's criteria for assessing the independence of NEC as was the case with the 1995 and 2000 elections, Makulilo (2009) finds that NEC is yet to be independent since such factors have remained unchanged.…”

Opposition Candidacy and Electoral Politics in Tanzania: The Case of Zitto Zuberi Kabwe

“…Likewise, election results in many African countries have been contested by the losing side, mostly the opposition. Tanzania is not an exception (Paget 2021;Killian, 2009;Makulilo, 2009). Similarly, political neutrality of state security organs in Africa is also in question.…”