Govt moves to stop yearly election wrangles
DODOMA: RECURRING disputes arising from the annual election of deputy mayors and deputy chairpersons could soon be addressed after Prime Minister, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, ordered a review of the law governing the polls.
Dr Nchemba directed the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) to work with the Attorney General’s Office in reviewing the legislation, saying the current arrangement has contributed to tensions and conflicts in some local authorities.
The Premier issued the directive in the National Assembly yesterday while responding to a question from Segerea MP, Agnesta Kaiza (SegereaCHAUMMA), who wanted to know whether the government saw the need to amend the law so that elections for the positions are held once every five years instead of annually.
In his response, the Prime Minister said he had already instructed the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Attorney General to work on the matter and submit recommendations for legal amendments as soon as possible.
“The government sees merit in reviewing this issue. I have spoken about it on several occasions and directed that the law be revisited and recommendations submitted urgently. If possible, during the next parliament sitting that considers bills, we should review the law and make the necessary amendments,” he said.
Dr Nchemba acknowledged that the annual election of deputy mayors and deputy council chairpersons has become a source of divisions and disputes in many local authorities, often causing leaders and councillors to focus more on election politics than on delivering development projects.
He said the current system needs to be re-examined, noting that even within Parliament, committee chairpersons are elected and serve for a substantial period before another election is held.
Earlier, Ms Kaiza argued that the annual elections have continued to generate unnecessary conflicts and undermine the performance of councils, as many leaders begin campaigning early instead of concentrating on development activities.
She said the situation disrupts council operations, with councillors spending excessive time on election-related processes rather than serving the public. Dr Nchemba agreed with the concerns, saying citizens face numerous challenges that require attention at the local government level.
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He stressed that council leaders and committees should devote more time to addressing those challenges instead of engaging in frequent election campaigns.
“The elections are over; now it is time to work. We should not have citizens thinking about elections every day,” he said.
He also reminded local government and council leaders to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to them by the electorate, observing that some leaders begin pursuing other political positions almost immediately after taking office instead of fulfilling their development mandates.
“Every year the deputy chairperson is campaigning for re-election, while some chairpersons are sworn in today and start seeking parliamentary seats tomorrow. Let them focus on the responsibilities for which they were elected so that citizens can see their performance, rather than spending most of their time chasing other leadership positions,” he said.
Dr Nchemba said the government would closely follow up on the matter and table amendments to the relevant legislation if the review confirms the need to change the current system.
