Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
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Tanzania
The NIMD programme in Tanzania focuses on electoral and constitutional reform, accountability and leadership.
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Contact person for this programme is: Jerome Scheltens. For more information on the political context and history of Tanzania, see the Tanzania Factsheet.
NIMD Programme
NIMD's partner in Tanzania, the Tanzanian Centre for Democracy (TCD), was established in 2005, and includes representatives from the six parties in parliament. Non-parliamentary parties are regularly involved in activities organised by TCD, although they do not play a decision-making role. TCD has developed as a forum for peaceful interparty dialogue between Tanzanian Parliamentary represented political parties. In a political setting where the ruling party has an overwhelming majority in all elective bodies and the opposition is relatively weak, TCD provides a useful platform for dialogue on contentious issues like constitutional reform, and is increasingly able to find a balance between opposition parties and more progressive forces within CCM.
Due to the decision of the government of the Netherlands to no longer consider Tanzania a priority partner country, NIMD will cease to have core funding for this programme after 2012 as the final year of bridge funding. The Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD) has been found interested and committed to take over the lead partnership role with TCD. NIMD will use 2012 to seek fundraising opportunities to remain involved in the development of Tanzanian multiparty democracy. NIMD’s strategic partners International IDEA and AWEPA will be involved in these efforts.
Reform challenges
Past TCD successes are amongst other realising and consolidating regular interparty dialogue in general, and more specific its role in dialogue concerning the review of the Electoral Law and Political Parties act and the electoral Code of Ethics, joint political party evaluation of the 2012 elections, and push for constitutional reform.
The next two and a half years will therefore heavily centre on this constitutional reform process, which is due to be finalised before the 2014 local elections and the 2015 parliamentary and presidential elections. In addition, a push for reform of electoral management bodies and the electoral system will no doubt flow from the constitutional debates.
TCD will also start a multiparty training and mentoring programme to stimulate women and youth members of political parties to run as candidates in the 2015 parliamentary elections.
Next to that TCD will develop approaches to bring its successful interparty dialogue to district levels.
Political parties and the media
To improve the relationship between political parties and the media, special attention is paid to inviting media partners to political meetings. It is of great importance for the proper functioning of democracy in Tanzania to have a dedicated, critical, but basically supportive press in place.
Programme news
At a glance ...
Political parties in parliament
• Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
• Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema)
• United Civic Front (CUF)
• NCCR-Mageuzi
• United Democratic Front (UDF)
• Tanzania Labour Party (TLP)
Key achievements in 2011
• After the Novermber 2010 elections, TCD organized a joint ‘healing of wounds’ election evaluation meeting for all political parties to settle electoral disputes between the political parties.
• Through the work of the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD), the NIMD programme in Tanzania focused in 2011 constitutional reform. The TCD has been instrumental in political parties jointly proposing amendments to the two presidential bills tabled in 2011. Through public TV debates, workshop and seminars organised by TCD the general public was sensitised to the constitutional reform process.
Key achievements in 2010
• Through the work of the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD), the NIMD programme in Tanzania focussed in 2010 on electoral and constitutional reform. The TCD has been instrumental in lobbying for a constitutional reform process, to which the president after the november 2010 elections agreed. As a platform for political parties, TCD has been able to play its role as conflict mitigating mechanism in the run up to the elections. The Zanzibar musical festival, that has been co organised by CCM and CUF under the auspices of TCD, is an example of how constructive cooperation can help to diffuse political tensions.
Key national partners
• Tanzanian Centre for Democracy (TCD)
• Tanzanian Office of the Prime Minister (OoPM)
• Registrar of Political Parties
• ALAT - Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania
• Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC)
• National Electoral Commission (NEC)
• Tanzania Communications and Regulatory Authority (TCRA)
• University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)
• Tanzania Women Lawyers Organization (TAWLA)
• Tanzania Media Women Organization (TAMWA)
• Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC)
• Tanganyika Law Society
• Media Houses of Tanzania
• University of Dar es Salaam
• Research for Education and Democracy in Tanzania (REDET)
• Media Institute of Southern Africa – Tanzania
• Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee (TEMCO)
Key international partners
• Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD)
• International IDEA
• Royal Netherlands Embassy
• GIZ-SULCO
• SNV
