Tanzanian Election Challenged at Regional Court Over Democratic Standards
DAR ES SALAAM – Two Tanzanian lawyers have filed a case at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) seeking a ruling that the country’s October 2025 general election failed to meet fundamental democratic and legal principles.
Advocates Tito Magoti and Bob Wangwe have named the Attorney General of Tanzania and the East African Community Secretary-General as respondents in the suit. Their petition, filed at the EACJ’s First Instance Division, contends that the electoral process violated core tenets of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.
The lawyers argue that the conduct and outcome of the election breached principles enshrined in the treaty, including democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, and the observance of human rights and political freedoms.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party was declared the winner of the presidential poll with approximately 97.66% of the vote. This result, along with the broader electoral process, has been heavily criticized by domestic opposition groups and some international observers, who have raised concerns about the political environment, fairness, and transparency.
The case directly places Tanzania’s electoral conduct under regional judicial scrutiny. The East African Court of Justice serves as the judicial arm of the East African Community and is mandated to interpret and apply the provisions of the EAC Treaty.
The reference to the EAC Secretary-General in the suit appears to center on the Community’s obligation to ensure member states adhere to the treaty’s foundational principles.
While the case has been formally filed, the registry of the East African Court of Justice has not yet announced a date for the initial hearing. The proceeding is anticipated to draw significant attention across the East African region, as it touches on the balance between national sovereignty and regional commitments to shared democratic values.
There has been no immediate public comment from the government of Tanzania or the office of the Attorney General regarding the filing.
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