03/11/2025
The Head of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Electoral Observation Mission (Seom) to Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 General Elections, Richard Msowoya, has said the polls did not meet the regional body’s standards for democratic elections.
In a preliminary statement issued on Monday, Msowoya stated that the overall conduct of the election fell short of the requirements of the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
According to Msowoya, the mission’s observers found that in most areas, voters were unable to freely express their democratic will.
He stressed that the Seom’s findings reflected concerns over the fairness and transparency of the electoral process, and urged all Tanzanians to resolve any disputes through legal channels rather than resorting to violence or threats.
Msowoya, who was appointed by Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika in his capacity as Chairperson of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, reiterated the mission’s commitment to supporting democratic practices in the region.
He noted that, in line with the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), the mission would issue its final and comprehensive report within 30 days of the preliminary statement.