The Tanzanian election 2015: Balancing stability and change

As Tanzanians head to the polls on 25 October, is stability becoming increasingly fragile in this East African state?

Tanzania’s fifth multiparty election will be highly contested as opposition parties have united to take on the longest ruling party in Africa; the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). CCM’s ability to maintain a stable elite pact is being challenged as access to political power is increasingly diffused through political parties, civil society groups, an emerging middle class and a burgeoning group of unemployed and frustrated youth. Tanzania could continue to set an example of how stability can be maintained while accommodating change. However, that stability increasingly rests on the CCM’s will to enable economic rights and participatory processes, and address the structural inadequacies of the Union.

About the author

Lauren Hutton is an independent consultant with more than 10 years’ experience working on peace and security in Africa. She has worked for think tanks such as the Institute for Security Studies and the Netherlands Institute for International Relations (Clingendael), as well as operational agencies such as the Danish Refugee Council and Danish Demining Group. Lauren holds a master’s degree in politics from the University of the Western Cape and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Johannesburg.