Most political parties sign on to election code

Twelve of Tanzania's 18 registered political parties signed a code of conduct on Wednesday which lays out rules for the country’s general elections in October. For example, when the election campaign starts on 21 August, candidates will be obliged to campaign in the national language of Swahili, rather than in other local languages or English. The five-page document, which is written in Swahili, calls itself "an agreement between political parties, the government and the National Electoral Commission (NEC)". According to one rule, "The government-owned media, both print and electronic, must provide fair coverage to all political parties throughout the campaigning period". This requires that all valid candidates should get equal air time in public media for campaigning. Other requirements are that authorities should not interfere with NEC-scheduled rallies; NEC should not change the campaigning timetable without full consultation; religious leaders should not engage in campaigns; politicians should not use places of worship as campaign venues; and security organs should not use excessive force in maintaining order. Six parties failed to sign the code of conduct. "NEC is a weak institution that cannot check violations of the country's constitution nor can it regulate the ruling party," Polisya Mwaiseja, the secretary-general of the National Convention for Construction and Reform, told IRIN.