Big puzzle of Tanzania’s two sets of election rules

A voter casts his ballot at Wazo Hill polling station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on October 28, 2020.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Tanzania’s upcoming local government elections are eliciting curious questions on why the country has a different set of rules for the municipal polls, from those governing general elections.

The nationwide civic poll scheduled for November 27 is for chairpersons and council members at village, street and hamlet levels, while the general election slated for October 2025 involves filling the presidential, parliamentary and ward seats.