Who votes in Tanzania? An overview of the law and practices relating to parliamentary elections

Abstract

The right to vote is among the pillars of a representative democracy. The right promotes democracy by ensuring that citizens participate indirectly in the affairs of the government of their country by freely electing the leaders they want. This article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of the right to vote in Tanzania. In particular, the article provides a critical examination of the laws and practices relating to parliamentary elections in Tanzania and their implications for the right to vote. The article argues that the right to vote is not effectively guaranteed in Tanzania, in law or in practice. In particular, the article demonstrates that the electoral laws as well as practices in Tanzania deny the citizens the right to freely elect their representatives/members of parliament. The electoral law and related practices give a mandate to few people who make decisions for the majority. The electoral laws and practices make citizens the rubberstamp of decisions taken by the few instead of their being the key decision makers.