Abstract
Elections are very important part of a democratic polity. They are means through which citizens choose their representatives. The 2010 general elections in Tanzania were unique in that there was stiff competition between the ruling and opposition parties. The Mbeya urban constituency is exemplary of such competitive politics. In this article, I examine the entire electoral process and actors in the constituency with a view to evaluate their impact on both electoral outcomes and democracy. I argue that overall the entire process went smoothly albeit some specific problems related to voter registration, inadequate institutional capacity in managing elections, corruption, polling, and tallying of votes. In some instances, these problems led to violence in the constituency.
Highlights
In a democracy, struggle for political office takes place through elections
I argue that overall the entire process went smoothly albeit some specific problems related to voter registration, inadequate institutional capacity in managing elections, corruption, polling, and tallying of votes
The Regional Commissioners (RCs), District Commissioners (DCs) and District Executive Directors (DEDs) are presidential appointees and have always been trusted cadres of the ruling party. While they serve as security authorities in their own jurisdictions, they at the same time promote the interests of Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
Summary
Struggle for political office takes place through elections. That struggle essentially involves elites. The rules of the game did not significantly change in favour of democratic electoral politics, the relatively handsome performance by opposition parties in the 2010 elections could partly be explained by the elite factionalism. This means that more than in any other time, religious institutions, trade unions, students, and some civil societies were indifferent with the ruling party. The intention of this article is to examine actors and processes in the 2010 general elections in Mbeya Urban Constituency with a view to evaluate their impact on both electoral outcomes and democracy It starts by a brief review of the legal and institutional frameworks governing elections in Tanzania followed by methodological issues.
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