Tundu Lissu - the fiery Tanzanian political survivor pushing for reforms

[ad_1] Basillioh Rukanga & Alfred Lasteck BBC Information, Nairobi & Dar es Salaam

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/35db/live/6d340e20-203c-11f0-99e1-773f439bd3c0.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="AFP Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu (centre) in glasses and wearing a white T-shirt and a white cap" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> AFP Tundu Lissu faces treason fees

Shot 16 occasions in an assassination try in 2017, Tindu Lissu is the nice survivor of Tanzanian politics - and one among its most persecuted politicians.

However some are asking whether or not he has now reached the the tip of the road.

Lissu, the chief of the primary opposition social gathering, Chadema, is again within the limelight after being charged with treason - against the law for which the utmost sentence is the loss of life penalty.

Nonetheless, he's undeterred. Regardless of the big threat, he believes he can stress the federal government to institute reforms, forward of presidential and parliamentary elections in October.

However can he climate the storm in a harsh political setting, and in opposition to what he believes are politically pushed fees?

His social gathering has been disqualified from the elections and he has been in detention for the previous two weeks.

In September final yr, Lissu advised the BBC that nothing would come on a silver platter, and it could take braveness to demand reforms "on the streets and within the villages".

To attain his objectives, he felt he needed to take over Chadema's management.

A fiery politician, Lissu was vital of the best way the social gathering was being run, accusing then chairman Freeman Mbowe of being too reconciliatory in direction of the federal government.

In an intense race, he ousted Mbowe from the submit.

After simply three months on the helm of Chadema, Lissu was this month arrested and detained for a speech allegedly calling for the general public to launch a revolt and disrupt the elections.

He was not allowed to enter a plea on the treason cost however pleaded not responsible to a separate cost of publishing false data.

Previous to his arrest, he had been holding gatherings throughout the nation with a rallying name of "no reforms, no elections".

He stated the present system was rigged in favour of the ruling CCM social gathering, including that with out reforms, there was no level in collaborating within the elections.

He is because of reappear in courtroom on Thursday. He can't search bail as a result of he has been charged with treason.

His worldwide lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, advised the BBC that it was their "mission to defend democracy".

But it's no easy process - CCM has gained each election since independence, and is unlikely to simply let go of its stranglehold on energy.

There may be additionally a rift in Chadema, with some members disagreeing with Lissu's technique.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/26d3/live/859ac870-1bcb-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="AFP Supporters of ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) wearing green and yellow party colours sit in a campaign truck in Zanzibar's town on 24 October 2020" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> AFP The CCM social gathering has gained each election in Tanzania's historical past

The social gathering is barred from contesting October's election after it refused to adjust to the electoral fee's requirement to signal a code of conduct.

The doc's key goal "is to make sure that political events and their supporters behave effectively... and keep peace and concord" in the course of the elections.

Chadema sees the code of conduct as a ploy to include the opposition, and it fears that state repression will proceed.

In September a senior Chadema social gathering official was kidnapped and brutally killed amid a wave of abductions of presidency critics.

Throughout native elections in November, Chadema stated 1000's of its candidates have been barred from collaborating. The ruling social gathering gained about 98% of the seats.

The federal government dismissed recommendations that the elections weren't free and truthful, saying they have been held in accordance with the principles.

However for Lissu, the native elections justified his requires reforms forward of the presidential and parliamentary polls.

Marketing campaign group Human Rights Watch has expressed related fears, and has urged the federal government to finish political repression.

The Catholic Church has added its voice to requires the unconditional launch of Lissu, and for truthful elections.

However the arrest of opposition politicians has continued, regardless of Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa promising earlier this month that the authorities would guarantee safety and equity within the polls.

The BBC has reached out to the federal government for remark.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan gave Tanzanians better political freedom after she took workplace following the loss of life in workplace of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021.

Nevertheless, Tanzania was as soon as once more "starting to see the wave of repression and state-orchestrated violence" that characterised Magufuli's rule, Tanzanian political analyst Nicodemus Minde stated.

It was throughout that period that Lissu survived an assassination try.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f646/live/48065be0-1bcc-11f0-857b-eb33ba2b7b3b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="AFP Tanzanian police officers (in green uniform and holding guns) surround a group of young voters (all seated) following their arrest in Kigoma in 2024" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> AFP The federal government has been accused of repression in opposition to the opposition

Earlier than his arrest, Lissu stated his social gathering had a listing of "minimal however vital reforms that should be made to ensure free elections".

Mr Amsterdam, his lawyer, advised the BBC that this included the formation of "a very impartial nationwide electoral fee with members unconnected to the federal government" - and this should be enshrined within the structure.

Chadema can also be demanding that when there are electoral disputes, the burden of proof ought to lie with the fee to indicate that the vote was free and truthful.

Lissu's technique has come at a heavy value to himself and Chadema, as a faction inside the social gathering, often called G-55, has adopted a softer stance.

It has referred to as for the social gathering to contest the elections whereas pursuing talks with the federal government over its calls for.

That's the strategy taken by the second largest opposition social gathering, ACT-Wazalendo.

Together with 16 fringe opposition events, it has signed the code of conduct. Solely Chadema has refused.

Lissu seems to see neighbouring Kenya - the place mass protests final yr pressured the federal government to drop plans to extend taxes - as a mannequin to observe.

On the time, he advised the BBC that Tanzanians had not "pressed laborious sufficient for democratic reform", and what Kenya went by way of so as to get [its] democratic dispensation is one thing that we have to do".

Whether or not such a technique would work is unclear, as many Tanzanians seem reluctant to publicly help a marketing campaign that might rattle the federal government.

However Mr Amsterdam stated the extra intransigent the federal government, the extra it could spur Chadema's supporters "to push ahead and have interaction in civil disobedience".

He added that Chadema would use "each authorized and political instrument" to realize change.

However political analyst Thomas Kibwana criticised Lissu's technique, saying that with the time period of the present parliament as a consequence of finish in June there wouldn't be sufficient time to present authorized impact to any main reforms forward of the October election.

He stated it may be higher for Chadema to attend till after the election.

Fulgence Massawe, the director of a authorized rights organisation in Tanzania, advised the BBC that Chadema's push for electoral reforms confronted important hurdles, however the social gathering had the fitting to go to courtroom to problem its exclusion from the elections.

Mr Minde stated that if Chadema remained shut out of the elections, the ruling social gathering is more likely to enhance its already overwhelming majority in parliament.

The analyst added that Chadema would possibly even lose its standing as the primary opposition social gathering, and "after all nature pulls again and possibly different opposition events will seize this chance".

It's a threat that Lissu and the social gathering have chosen to take.

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<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> Getty Photographs/BBC [ad_2] Source link