Election time!

Yesterday was Election Day! In a few days Tanzania will have a new president.  Here is a bit of background if you find political stuff interesting:

There are two main contending parties – Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and Chadema.  Each have their own colours, hand gesture, flags and theme songs (which they blast from speakers on the back of trucks whenever the mood strikes them).  Pretty much every tree and flat surface on the main roads is plastered with posters!

These seem to be the CCM trees.....

...whilst our neighbour appears to be in favour of Chadema

CCM's presidential candidate is John Magufuli.  Their colours are green and yellow, and their hand gesture is thumbs up.  

Chadema's candidate for president is Edward Lowassa.  Their colours are blue, red and white and their hand gesture is the peace sign.  

 

For the last 54 years since the formation of Tanzania as a republic, CCM has been the ruling party, with opposition parties never really having a chance of winning.  This election however is said to be the closest ever, and it seriously could go either way!

There is more though……Chadema’s presidential candidate Lowassa was a member of CCM (and even Prime Minister for a few years).  He failed to get the nomination for president with CCM so changed his allegiance to Chadema…who then nominated him as their presidential candidate…as you do! 

I love it that elections here are such a huge event.  People are really proud of their right to vote.  Yesterday at church a few of the people were showing the ink on their fingers with such pride (after voting ink is put on their fingernail so they can’t vote twice). 

If there is any violence it will be when the president is announced, sometime in the next couple of days.  Moshi is very heavily in favour of one candidate, so there could be a lot of very happy or very disappointed people depending on the outcome!  Mainly our prayer is that not only will the voting system be free of corruption, but that it will be seen to be fair and people will feel satisfied with the outcome.  In a country that has not always been free of corruption, this is a big ask!  As a precaution, the school is closed for the next three days….woohoo!  

Local representative positions are up for contention at the same time.  I took pics of a few rather cool election posters.  It's hard to take many because I don't want to be seen to be supporting one party over another!

That shirt guy

Jazz hands guy

Smiley guy

Election poster fail

Exciting times!