AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Tanzania
 
Political Profile
Political System: Emerging Democracy
President: Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (CCM) [since 21 December 2005; elected 2005] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: First Past The Post.
Prime Minister: Edward Lowassa (CCM) [since 30 December 2005] The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
National Assembly [unicameral] (323 Seats) 232 members are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system, 75 seats are reserved for women elected by their political parties on the basis of proportional representation among the political parties represented in the National Assembly, 5 members are indirectly elected by the Zanzibar House of Representatives, up to 10 members may be appointed by the President, and 1 seat is reserved for the Attorney-General; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
-Tanganyika [1961-1962]/Republic of Tanganyika [1962-1964]
1961-1964 [De-Facto] One Party State (TANU)
-Sultanate of Zanzibar [1963-1964]/People's Republic of Zanzibar & Pemba [1964]
1963-1964 Emerging Democracy
-United Republic of Tanzania [1964-Present]
1964-1965 [De-Facto] One Party State (TANU), Zanzibar (ASP)
1965-1992 One Party State (TANU/CCM), Zanzibar (ASP/CCM)
1992-1995 Multiparty Transition
1995-        Emerging Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 4, Civil Liberties - 3, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2010
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2010
Political Parties: ANC - African National Congress, ASP - Afro-Shirazi Party, CCM - Chama Cha Mapinduzi [Revolutionary State Party] (left-wing, authoritarian), CHADEMA - Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo [Party for Democracy and Progress] (conservative), CHAUSTA - Chama cha Haki na Usitawi, CUF - Civic United Front [Chama Cha Wananchi] (liberal), DP - Democratic Party, FORD - Forum for Restoration of Democracy, Jahazi Asilia*, MAKINI - Demokrasia Makini, NCCR-Mageuzi - National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi (centrist), NLD - National League for Democracy, NRA - National Reconstruction Alliance, PONA - Popular National Party, PPT-Maendeleo - Progressive Party of Tanzania-Maendeleo, SAU - Sauti ya Umma, TADEA - Tanzania Democratic Alliance, TANU - Tanganyika African National Union (left-wing, authoritarian), TLP - Tanzania Labour Party, UDP - United Democratic Party (liberal, center-left), UMD - Union for Multiparty Democracy, UPDP - United People’s Democratic Party.
*Party Acronym not available.
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Multiparty: 1962, 1995, 2000, 2005
--Single Party: 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990
Legislative
--Multiparty: 1958, 1960, 1995, 2000, 2005
--Single Party: 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990
 
 
September 1958/February 1959 Legislative Council Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

The Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) wins a majority of the thirty directly elected seats. 34 additional seats were reserved for appointees.
 
August 1960 Legislative Council Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (71)

Tanganyika African National Union (TANU)

70

Other*

01

*The single seat was won by a loyal TANU member who opposed the official candidate and who immediately joined the TANU ranks after his victory.
 
1962 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Julius Nyerere (TANU)

99.2%

Zuberi Mtemvu (ANC)

0.8%

 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), 1965-1977/Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), 1977-1992

September 1965 Presidential Election (Julius Nyerere re-elected unopposed) [Detailed Results]

Registered Voters

3,373,089

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,600,040 (77.1%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   100,537

Total Valid Votes

2,499,503

"Yes" Votes

2,410,903 (96.46%)

"No" Votes

     88,600 (03.54%)

September 1965 National Assembly Election

30 October 1970 Presidential Election (Julius Nyerere re-elected unopposed) [Detailed Results]

Registered Voters

5,051,938

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

3,649,789 (72.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     74,388

Total Valid Votes

3,575,401

"Yes" Votes

3,465,573 (96.93%)

"No" Votes

   109,828 (03.07%)

30 October 1970 National Assembly Election

26 October 1975 Presidential Election (Julius Nyerere re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

5,577,566

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

4,557,595 (81.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     83,323

Total Valid Votes

4,474,272

"Yes" Votes

4,172,267 (93.25%)

"No" Votes

   302,005 (06.75%)

26 October 1975 National Assembly Election

26 October 1980 Presidential Election (Julius Nyerere re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

6,969,803

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

5,986,942 (85.9%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   157,019

Total Valid Votes

5,829,923

"Yes" Votes

5,570,883 (95.56%)

"No" Votes

   259,040 (04.44%)

26 October 1980 National Assembly Election

27 October 1985 Presidential Election (Ali Hassan Mwinyi elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

6,910,555

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

5,181,999 (75.0%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   188,259

Total Valid Votes

4,993,740

"Yes" Votes

4,778,114 (95.68%)

"No" Votes

   215,626 (04.32%)

27 October 1985 National Assembly Election

28 October 1990 Presidential Election (Ali Hassan Mwinyi re-elected unopposed)

Registered Voters

7,296,553

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

5,425,282 (74.4%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   109,796

Total Valid Votes

5,315,486

"Yes" Votes

5,198,120 (97.79%)

"No" Votes

   117,366 (02.21%)

28 October 1990 National Assembly Election

 
29 October/19 November 1995 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

8,929,969

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

6,846,681 (76.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   333,936

Total Valid Votes

6,512,745

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Benjamin Mkapa (CCM)

4,026,422

61.82%

Augustine Mrema (NCCR-Mageuzi)

1,808,616

27.77%

Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF)

418,973

6.43%

John Cheyo (UDP)

258,734

3.97%

 
29 October/19 November 1995 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

6,440,913

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats
232 (269)*

Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)

3,814,206

59.22%

186 (214)

National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi               (NCCR-Mageuzi)

1,406,343

21.83%

16 (19)

Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA)

396,825

6.16%

03 (04)

Civic United Front (CUF)

323,432

5.02%

24 (28)

United Democratic Party (UDP)

213,547

3.32%

03 (04)

Tanzania Democratic Alliance (TADEA)

76,636

1.19%

-

National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA)

60,707

0.94%

-

Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD)

41,257

0.64%

-

Tanzania Labour Party (TLP)

27,963

0.43%

-

National League for Democracy (NLD)

26,666

0.41%

-

United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP)

19,841

0.31%

-

Popular National Party (PONA)

18,155

0.28%

-

Progressive Party of Tanzania-Maendeleo (PPT-Maendeleo)

15,335

0.24%

-

*232 members are directly elected; The figures in parentheses reflect the distribution of seats when both the directly and indirectly elected seats are combined [excluding the 5 Zanzibar delegates and Attorney-General].
 
29 October 2000 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

10,088,484

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

  8,517,598 (84.4%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     345,314

Total Valid Votes

   8,172,284

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Benjamin Mkapa (CCM)

5,863,201

71.74%

Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF)

1,329,077

16.26%

Augustine Mrema (TLP)

637,115

7.80%

John Cheyo (UDP)

342,891

4.20%

 
29 October 2000 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

10,088,484

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats
  231 (295)*

Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)

202 (258)

Civic United Front (CUF)

17 (22)

Tanzania Labour Party (TLP)

04 (05)

Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA)

04 (05)

United Democratic Party (UDP)

03 (04)

National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi (NCCR-Mageuzi)

01 (01)

*231 members are directly elected; The figures in parentheses reflect the distribution of seats when both the directly and indirectly elected seats are combined.
 
14 December 2005 Presidential Election [Results by Region]

Registered Voters

16,401,694

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

11,875,927 (72.4%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     510,450

Total Valid Votes

 11,365,477

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Jakaya Kikwete (CCM)

9,123,952

80.28%

Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF)

1,327,125

11.68%

Freeman Mbowe (CHADEMA)

668,756

5.88%

Augustine Mrema (TLP)

84,901

0.75%

Sengondo Mvungi (NCCR-Mageuzi)*

55,819

0.49%

Christopher Mtikila (DP)

31,083

0.27%

Emmanuel Makaidi (NLD)

21,574

0.19%

Anna Senkoro (PPT-Maendeleo)

18,783

0.17%

Leonard Shayo (MAKINI)

17,070

0.15%

Paul Kyara (SAU)

16,414

0.14%

*Sengondo Mvungi was also supported by the Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD), National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA), Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD), and United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP).
 
14 December 2005 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

16,407,318

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

10,829,513

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats 232 (323)*

Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)

7,579,897

70.0%

206 (275)

Civic United Front (CUF)

1,551,243

14.3%

19 (31)

Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA)

888,133

8.2%

05 (11)

Tanzania Labour Party (TLP)

297,230

2.7%

01 (01)

National Convention for Construction and Reform-Mageuzi
(NCCR-Mageuzi)

239,452

2.2%

-

United Democratic Party (UDP)

155,887

1.4%

01 (01)

Chama cha Haki na Usitawi (CHAUSTA)

38,085

0.4%

-

Jahazi Asilia

21,042

0.2%

-

Progressive Party of Tanzania-Maendeleo (PPT-Maendeleo)

13,532

0.1%

-

Democratic Party (DP)

11,876

0.1%

-

Tanzania Democratic Alliance (TADEA)

6,845

0.1%

-

Sauti ya Umma (SAU)

6,085

0.1%

-

National League for Democracy (NLD)

6,054

0.1%

-

United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP)

5,456

0.1%

-

National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA)

3,459

0.0%

-

Demokrasia Makini (MAKINI)

2,102

0.0%

-

Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD)

1,625

0.0%

-

Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD)

1,510

0.0%

-

Vacant**

-

-

- (04)

*232 members are directly elected; The figures in parentheses reflect the distribution of seats when both the directly and indirectly elected seats are combined.
**Only 6 of 10 seats reserved for presidential appointees have been filled.