On the week of October 29, Tanzania held its general election. The opposition parties that stood a chance at making the contest a viable competition were hamstrung in the courts: Chadema with the treason case against Tundu Lissu, and ACT-Wazalendo somehow failing to produce a viable presidential candidate at the last minute.
The other opposition parties — over a dozen in the end — were present but many were considered to be peripheral to the elections, or allies of the ruling party. All in all, the election did not look like it was going to be a free and fair contest.
