Government postpones Tanzania Olympic Committee election

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports has suspended the upcoming Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) election process, which had been scheduled to take place next month.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed that the decision was made in accordance with Section 27(2) of the National Sports Council Act (Amendment) No 6 of 1971 and in line with the 1999 regulations governing sports associations.

The suspension follows the rejection of an appeal by the TOC leadership against a ruling by the Registrar of Sports Associations. The Registrar had nullified the planned election on the grounds that it was announced under an invalid constitution.

The ministry stated that only the TOC Constitution officially registered with the Registrar in 2022 is recognised as legally valid. As a result, the election process announced under a different version of the constitution was deemed unlawful and ordered to cease immediately.

ALSO READ: Stars’ World Cup dream shuttled

In its directive, the ministry stated that the suspended election must not proceed in any form, and that the 2022 constitution remains the sole binding document for the governance and administration of TOC affairs. Furthermore, it stressed that any future elections must be conducted strictly in accordance with the provisions set out in the 2022 constitution.

The government urged TOC leadership and all sports stakeholders across the country to respect laws, regulations and official procedures in place and act in a manner that supports good governance, transparency and the long-term interests of sport in Tanzania.

The statement was signed by Hassan Mabuye, Acting Head of the Government Communications Unit at the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports.