President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday swore in a five-member committee responsible for overseeing the selection of members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a process anchored in the legal framework governing the country's electoral institution.
The committee, sworn in at State House in Dar es Salaam, is chaired by Chief Justice George Mcheche Masaju, with Zanzibar Chief Justice Khamis Ramadhan Abdalla serving as vice-chairman.
Other members are the chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance, Mr Dunford George Mpelumbe, his deputy, Mr Omar Ali Omar, and Ambassador Maimuna Kibenga Tarishi.
The committee was constituted under Section 9(1) of the Independent National Electoral Commission Act No. 2 of 2024, while the swearing-in was conducted in accordance with Section 9(2) of the law.
Its responsibility is to oversee the selection of members of INEC, placing the process under a committee whose membership includes senior judicial officers and officials of the human rights and governance commission.
The development comes amid wider efforts to strengthen electoral institutions and the governance framework through which the country's electoral processes are administered.
In a separate engagement at State House, President Samia met members of the Joint Dialogue Committee on Reconciliation in Zanzibar, where she emphasised the importance of continued political dialogue between Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and ACT-Wazalendo.
She stressed that any reconciliation agreement reached between the two parties should reflect and strengthen national principles, particularly the preservation of peace and security, protection of the Union and promotion of development.
The President underscored that reconciliation should ultimately serve the interests of the people of Zanzibar and Tanzanians generally.
The two engagements bring into focus the importance of both institutional processes and political dialogue in maintaining stability and strengthening governance.