Tanzania: Bloggers Analyse Tanzania 2010 Election Campaigns  · Global Voices
Mosi Simba

On 31 October 2010, more than 19.6 million Tanzanians will make an important decision for the future of their country. They will take part in the fourth general election since the introduction of multiparty democracy. With only a few days left before the polls, Tanzanian blogosphere is following closely election campaigns conducted by various political parties.
One of the controversial issues in this year’s campaigns, it seems, is that most of university students will not be able to vote.  Senior Journalist Ndimara Tegambwage who blogs at Uhuru Hauna Kikomo [SW] writes about the issue:
…Maelfu ya wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu vya serikali walijiandikisha kupiga kura pale vyuoni kwao. Wizara ilijua hilo. Tume ya Uchaguzi ilijua na kupanga hivyo. Wanafunzi walijua watakuwa vyuoni (kwa kawaida vyuo hufunguliwa mwishoni mwa mwezi wa Septemba au mwanzoni mwa mwezi wa Oktoba,lakini mwaka huu serikali imeamua kwamba vyuo vifunguliwe mwezi Novemba). Serikali kwa ujumla ilijua hilo …
He goes on to explain what happens in other countries:
.. Katika baadhi ya nchi duniani, kuna mifumo ya kuhakikisha raia wake waishio ughaibuni, wanashiriki zoezi la uchaguzi huko watokako. Serikali huhakikisha kila kura inakusanywa.
And the he gives an advice to the students:
…Kuna kazi moja ambayo wanafunzi wanaweza kuifanya iwapo serikali haitabadili msimamo. Wabaki walipo. Wahimize wananchi kuamka mapema na kupiga kura. Wafanye uwakala wa vyama vyao…
Opinion Polls
Another interesting issue in these campaigns is how opinion polls were conducted. Three institutions conducted the polls. These are Research and Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET), Synovate as well as Tanzania Citizens Information Bureau (TCIB) (More information at Wavuti blog) [SW].
Results from REDET and Synovate were met with mixed reactions. Christian Bwaya blogging at Jielewe posted an article by Evarist Chahali who blogs at Kulikoni Ughaibuni. The article expresses suspicion that there might be rigging of the final vote and that REDET’s opinion poll results were preparing the ground for the impending vote-rigging:
…Wapiga kura wasianze kukata tamaa kuwa CCM wataiba kura … kwa mfano Dkt Slaa akipata asilimia 51 na Kikwete asilimia 49. Hapo watarejea uchakachuaji kama ule wa Zanzibar … Ni muhimu kutovunjwa moyo na hujuma hizi. Yatupasa kufahamu kuwa Kikwete na CCM yake ni kama mgonjwa mahututi ambaye yuko tayari hata kuning'inia kwenye uzi ili asalimike. Tutashuhudia vituko zaidi ya huo uchakachuaji wa REDET …
There are those who have lost trust in REDET like Markus Mpangala who left a comment at Bwaya'sblog:
… ilipoanzishwa REDET sijawahi kusoma wala sitarajii kusoma tafiti zao … samahani mimi huwa siamini maoni hususani tafiti za namna hii … REDET wanatumia pesa kibao kutafiti eti fulani anaongoza … REDET ni mchezo wa rede au kombolela tu.
Ansbert Ngurumo blogging at Utakapojua Hujui Ndipo Utakapojua [SW] writes about the Synovate opinion polls:
… Baada ya hapo alionyesha vielelezo vya utafiti uliofanywa na Synovate, ambao katika kipengele GPO 6 liliulizwa swali: “Kama uchaguzi ungefanyika leo, nani ungempigia kura ya urais?” – Synovate walikanusha kwamba swali hilo halikuwemo katika utafiti wao … ukweli ni uwa walifanya utafiti lakini CCM iliingiza ‘mkono’ wake baada ya kubaini kuwa matokeo hayo yalikuwa yanaonyesha Kikwete yuko nyuma ya Dkt Slaa …
Meanwhile, Haki writing for a blog called Food for Thought posted photos showing a famous businessman and CCM supporter, Mustapha Jaffar Sabodo with the following explanation:
Mfanyabiashara na mkereketwa wa CCM nchini, Mustapha Jaffar Sabodo, ametoa  hundi ya shilingi milioni 100 na kumkabidhi Mwenyekiti wa Taifa wa Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Freeman Mbowe. Fedha hizo zimelenga kusaidia chama hicho ili kukamilisha kampeni.
Election Debates
One week before the general elections, there was a Q&A session broadcast through  ITV. In that session Dr. Wilbrod Slaa, CHADEMA’s presidential candidate responded to questions direct from the people. Maggid Mjengwa, a journalist and blogger, wondered about the presidential ‘debate’:
… Kama ni mdahalo, basi ingekuwa ni vema na busara kwa wagombea wengine wa urais kushiriki. Bila shaka, wagombea wengine nao wana haki za msingi za kupewa nafasi kuelezea sera zao na kujibu maswali ya wapiga kura.
And then he informs us that CCM barred their candidates from participating in election debates:
…Hata kama chama tawala, CCM, kimeweka wazi kuwa mgombea wao hatashiriki mdahalo …
Photo journalist, Issa Michuzi, who runs one of the most read Swahili blogs both within and outside the country, follows the incumbent and CCM’s presidential candidate Mh Jakaya Kikwete campaign as well as his supporters.  A title in one of his posts (with photos) says: JK Afunika Bovu Mlimba, Mahenge na Ifakara (meaning: JK conquers Mlimba, Mahenge and Ifakara).
UDADISI  notices that one presidential candidate from the opposition seems to trouble CCM:
…It is quite clear that Dr Wilbrod Slaa's decision to run as a presidential candidate has tilted the balance of power. Now the debate is no longer about whether the ruling party's candidate [Jakay Kikwete] will get a landslide victory – as in the previous election. rather, it is about how much that victory will be cut.
In Zanzibar, there are signs that there will be peaceful elections especially after the agreement to form a Government of National Unity in the Isles. However, there are some nagging issues as described by Salma Said:
…SERIKALI ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar (SMZ) imekiri kwamba imeandikisha watu katika daftari la kudumu la wapiga kura wasiokuwa na sifa za kuandikishwa katika daftari hilo kutokana na sababu mbali mbali.
Apart from admitting that, the government also has admitted that Zanzibar Election Commission (ZEC) has employed ineligible electoral officers.
Kauli hiyo imetolewa na Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kaskazini Pemba, Dadi Faki Dadi katika semina ya wakuu wa mikoa, makamanda, maafisa wadhamini, kamati za ulinzi na masheikh iliyofanyika kwenye ukumbi wa Elimu Mbadala Vitongoji Mkoa wa Kusini Kisiwani Pemba….
She goes on to caution Zanzibaris (and all Tanzanians in general):
…Waswahili wana msemo wanasema kwamba yashayopita sio ndwele tugange yanayokuja. Naam, nakubaliana na msemo huo lakini tukumbuke katika kuganga kunahitajika umahiri, ubunifu, ujuzi, uzoefu na busara za kutosha ili ndwele ile iliotokea nyuma isije ikajirejea tena…
Fierce contest for the (Union) presidential seat is between Jakaya Kikwete from CCM, Wilbrod Slaa from CHADEMA and Ibrahim Lipumba from CUF. In Zanzibar, the contest is between Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein from CCM and Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad from CUF.
As a famous Swahili saying goes: Will Tanzanians decide to plait or to shave?  We will find out after the elections.