By Alfred Zacharia
Tanzania ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has ordered the reinstatement of all ward councilor aspirants ahead of internal opinion polls for the country’s 2025 General Election.
The directive, issued on Thursday, follows a meeting of the CCM National Executive Secretariat, which reviewed complaints over the earlier shortlisting process in various regions.
“All candidates who were initially approved by regional political committees, as well as those on the original nomination lists, must now be returned to the ballot for internal party polls,” said Amos Gabriel Makalla, CCM's Secretary for Ideology, Publicity and Training.
The decision aims to resolve mounting concerns raised by party members and aspirants over what they described as an unfair elimination process.
Mr. Makalla said the new guidelines do not replace previous instructions but must be followed alongside them to ensure broader participation and transparency.
CCM has been in power since Tanzania’s independence era and continues to dominate the political landscape.
However, internal competition is intensifying ahead of the October 2025 elections, prompting calls for greater fairness in candidate selection.
The opinion polls will help determine which candidates secure the party’s endorsement to contest in the general elections.