Home / Statement by Gregor Gysi, President of the Party of European Left (EL) on Tanzania
The European Left warns once again against the anti-democratic course of the Tanzanian government. Following comment refers to the amendment of the Political Parties Act in Tanzania.
The amendment interferes massively with the organizational rights of the parties and assigns parliament a greater power to regulate than predicted in the constitution.
Supreme Court rejected a complaint from the broad opposition alliance. A first application of the law clearly shows the direction which President John Magufuli follows. The opposition party ACT-Wazalendo has been announced the termination of registration as a party. The presented evidence also lack any basis under the new legislation, as the party leader of the ACT, Zitto Kabwe, explained. Democracy has been in danger for a long time now; Political assemblies are dissolved, arbitrary arrests are made, opposition politicians are systematically intimidated. “Tanzania must remain democratic!” says Gregor Gysi, President of the European Left. Restrictions on the exercise of fundamental democratic rights and the establishment of an autocratic state will permanently damage the country’s development and lead it into isolation.
