Political test for Tanzania's Chadema as Mbowe and Lissu seek top party position

The Tanzanian main opposition party, Chadema, is facing a significant test as two of its key leaders, Freeman Mbowe and Tundu Lissu, compete for the top leadership position.

Mbowe, who has been synonymous with Chadema for nearly two decades and currently serves as the party's chairman, is now facing a fierce challenge from Lissu, his vice chairman and a former presidential contender.

This leadership struggle is highlighting internal divisions within the party, especially as it prepares for the 2025 general elections, where it will likely challenge the rule of Tanzania's first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), who rose to power following the death of the late former president John Pombe Magufuli.

Lissu, a fiery lawyer and former lawmaker who survived a brutal assassination attempt during Magufuli's regime, announced his intention to succeed Mbowe as party chairperson in early December, ahead of the party's elections scheduled for early 2025.

Lissu, who had initially expressed interest in retaining his vice chairman position, later shifted his focus to contesting for the top seat, revealing his ambitions during a press conference in Dar es Salaam.

Human rights defender

He is leaning on his reputation as an "unflinching" defender of human rights and constitutionalism in Tanzania to rally party members to support his bid to unseat Mbowe.

According to The Chanzo Tanzania, Lissu aims to organise and mobilise party members and Tanzanians to rise against what he views as the current totalitarian nature of the country's politics.

During the press conference, Lissu stated that despite President Samia's initial promises of reform upon assuming office, "no tangible reforms have taken place, with her reconciliation agenda suffering a terrible death."

He cited the ruling CCM’s overwhelming 99 per cent victory in the 2024 civic elections as evidence of the failure of Samia's reform agenda.

"Now we need to go back to the basics: a new democratic constitution, a reformed electoral system with an independent commission and better electoral laws, and justice for all," Lissu said, emphasising the need for structural changes.

He returned to Tanzania in January 2023 after living in exile for some time.

However, Lissu's announcement of his candidacy comes amid growing tensions within the party.

Internal divisions are reportedly surfacing, with members and leaders differing on how to respond to the government following President Samia's rise to power.

The sudden shift in Lissu's aspirations from vying for the national vice chair position to running for the party chairmanship signals deep-rooted conflicts.

Lissu has previously expressed concerns over what he described as a "huge and unprecedented" amount of "dirty money" within the party.

He raised questions about the source of this money, particularly about the recently concluded intra-party elections, prompting concerns among party members and external observers.

In a recent interview with KTN News, Lissu discussed the state of Tanzania's political opposition, noting that there is an opportunity for opposition parties to build a strong force, provided there are visionary leaders who remain firm in their beliefs.

Some interpreted this remark as a veiled criticism of Mbowe's leadership.