Africa-Press – Malawi. The Head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 General Elections, Richard Msowoya, has delivered a stark verdict: the polls did not meet SADC’s standards for credible, free and fair elections.
In a strongly worded preliminary statement released Monday, Msowoya said the overall conduct of the election fell below the benchmarks set out in the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. He stated that in many areas across the country, voters were effectively denied the chance to freely express their democratic will, with the environment surrounding the polls marked by intimidation, irregularities, and restricted political participation.
“The concerns raised by our observers point to serious deficits in fairness and transparency,” Msowoya said, noting that the mission’s assessment reflects SADC’s firm position that elections must be conducted in a manner that protects the integrity of the people’s voice.
Msowoya, appointed by Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika in his capacity as Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, urged Tanzanians to pursue any electoral disputes strictly through lawful means, insisting that the legitimacy of democratic processes cannot be defended through violence or coercion.
He reaffirmed that the mission will, in accordance with SADC’s 2021 electoral guidelines, publish a full and final report within 30 days, but emphasized that the preliminary statement is meant to send an unequivocal signal: SADC will not endorse elections that undermine democratic norms in the region.
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