By Reuters
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s electoral commission on Monday disqualified opposition presidential candidate Luhaga Mpina for the second time, reversing a decision made two days earlier that had approved his nomination.
The move leaves President Samia Suluhu Hassan with a clear path to next month’s election, with only candidates from minor parties eligible to contest.
Leading opposition party CHADEMA was also barred in April after refusing to sign the electoral code of conduct, part of its broader push for electoral reforms.
CHADEMA’s presidential candidate, Tundu Lissu, has been in detention for over five months on treason charges he denies.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, say Lissu’s imprisonment and the recent unexplained abductions of government critics point to a widening crackdown ahead of the vote.
Over the weekend, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) temporarily accepted Mpina’s nomination papers following a high court ruling that overturned an earlier disqualification.
“It is our hope the commission will drop all objections against our candidate so that he can proceed with the election campaigns in a bid to lead Tanzanians,” said Shangwe Ayo, ACT-Wazalendo’s deputy spokesperson.
