Competitive elections and tactical exclusion in Africa: Insights from unopposed candidacy in Tanzania

This study examined inter-party unopposed candidacy in Tanzania. It was prompted by opposition political parties’ consistent protests against unopposed candidacy, a phenomenon that is common in modern democracies. Using data generated through key informant interviews and documentary analysis, the study identifies seven tactics on which unopposed candidacy is said to be anchored. These tactics are a source of opposition’s protests and cast doubt on the National Electoral Commission’s (NEC) assertions that unopposed candidacy is merit-based. The identified tactics include enacting asymmetrical statutes, consecrating biased returning officers, blurring the locus of power, eclipsing accommodation through rigidity, bullying returning officers, and condoning unethical practices. The study further shows that the deployment of these tactics has negatively affected political competition due to the instrumentalisation of the NEC, turning the nomination of candidates into a domination arena, marginalising the electorate, and eroding the predictability of electoral processes. Given the effects of these tactics on political competition, this paper recommends the inclusion of unopposed candidacy in a list of items, such as constitutional reforms and the restructuring of the NEC, which are on the top agenda for political reform in the country.