Government and Politics of Tanzania

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West

Legal System

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tanzania; if a child is born abroad, the father must be a citizen of Tanzania dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Samia Suluhu HASSAN (since 19 March 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; President Hassan is the first woman to hold this office, having assumed the presidency following the death of President John MAGUFULI head of government: President Samia Suluhu HASSAN (since 19 March 2021); Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa MAJALIWA (since 20 November 2015) note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for matters internal to Zanzibar; Hussein Ali MWINYI has served as President of Zanzibar since November 2020 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held on 28 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025); prime minister appointed by the president election results: John MAGUFULI reelected president in 2020; percent of vote - John MAGUFULI (CCM) 84.4%, Tundu LISSU (CHADEMA) 13.0%; following MAGUFULI's death in March 2021, Vice President Samia Suluhu HASSAN was sworn in as president in accordance with the constitution

Legislative Branch

Tanzania's legislature consists of a unicameral National Assembly, known as the Bunge, which serves as the supreme legislative body of the United Republic of Tanzania. As of the most recent constitutional arrangements, the National Assembly comprises 393 seats: 264 members elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies, 113 seats reserved for women appointed by political parties on a proportional basis, 5 seats allocated to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives, 10 seats for presidential appointees, and 1 seat for the Attorney General. Members serve five-year terms. The Assembly enacts laws applicable to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, as well as laws pertaining specifically to the mainland. Zanzibar retains its own semi-autonomous legislature, the Zanzibar House of Representatives, which enacts legislation specific to the Zanzibar archipelago. The Zanzibar House of Representatives comprises 85 seats, with members elected by universal suffrage to serve five-year terms, along with additional seats reserved for women and presidential appointees. Elections for the National Assembly are held concurrently with presidential elections every five years. The most recent general elections were held in October 2020, in which the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party secured a dominant majority in the National Assembly. The main opposition parties include Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) and the Civic United Front (CUF). In the Zanzibar House of Representatives, CCM similarly retained its majority following the 2020 elections. The next general elections are scheduled for 2025.

Judicial Branch

Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court (consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts; Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the higher courts)

Political Parties

Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party (unregistered) [Christopher MTIKLA]; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

Head of State

President Samia Suluhu HASSAN

Head of Government

President Samia Suluhu HASSAN

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly

Election Results

Tanzania holds presidential and parliamentary elections every five years. The country operates under a dominant-party system, with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), or Party of the Revolution, having maintained political control since independence. CCM has won every presidential election since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1992. In the October 2020 general elections, CCM candidate John Pombe Magufuli was declared the winner with approximately 84 percent of the vote, securing a second five-year term. His main challenger, Tundu Lissu of the opposition Chadema (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) party, received around 13 percent. International observers and opposition leaders widely criticized the election, citing reports of voter intimidation, the blocking of independent observers, internet disruptions, and irregularities in the counting process. Several opposition candidates were also barred from participating during the nomination phase. Magufuli died in office in March 2021, and Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as president, becoming Tanzania's first female head of state. Hassan, also a CCM member, completed the remainder of Magufuli's term and is expected to stand as the party's candidate in the 2025 general elections. In the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, elections are held separately for the Zanzibar presidency and the House of Representatives. The 2020 Zanzibar elections were similarly contested, with CCM's Hussein Ali Mwinyi winning the presidency with over 76 percent of the vote. The main opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo, rejected the results and alleged widespread fraud. Tanzania's electoral process is administered by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) for mainland Tanzania and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) for Zanzibar. While the legal framework for elections exists, civil society organizations and international human rights groups have consistently raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process, particularly regarding restrictions on opposition parties, freedom of the press, and civic space leading up to and during election periods.

Constitution

25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

Independence

26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanziba

National Holiday

Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125 FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael L. RETZER embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: [255] (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015 FAX: [255] (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

Capital City

Dodoma; note - Dodoma was designated the national capital in 1996; Dar es Salaam, the original national capital, is the country's largest city and commercial center

Location

6 48 S, 39 17 E

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

Dodoma, in the native Gogo language, means "it has sunk"; supposedly, one day during the rainy season, an elephant drowned in the area; the villagers in that place were so struck by what had occurred, that ever since the locale has been referred to as the place where "it (the elephant) sunk"

U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam 686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani Dar es Salaam Telephone: 255- (0)22- 229-4122 Facsimile: 255- (0) 22- 266-8247 Email: drsacs@state.gov (U.S. citizen services only) Emergency after hours: U.S. citizen emergencies should call 255- (0)22- 229-4000 and select ‘1’ for an emergency operator.

Military Branches

Tanzania People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service

Service Age and Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription