Dar es Salaam. Tanzania\u2019s opposition party Chadema has demanded the unconditional release of its national chairman, Mr Tundu Lissu, who has been facing treason charges since early last year.<\/p>\n
The opposition party has also called for constitutional reforms, the establishment of an independent electoral commission, an international investigation into killings and abductions, and the lifting of the suspension on Chadema\u2019s political activities.<\/p>\n
Delivering the party\u2019s 2026 New Year\u2019s message, Chadema National Vice Chairman for the Mainland, Mr John Heche, said 2025 was an extraordinary year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a year of difficult decisions and great pain, but also a historic awakening of Tanzanians\u2019 resolve to demand justice, freedom, and genuine democracy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Heche said Chadema made history through its national general assembly, where Mr Lissu was elected party chairman.<\/p>\n
However, as of January 3, 2026, it has been 269 days since Mr Lissu\u2019s arrest and detention in a case he described as false, arbitrary, and politically motivated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe party wants Mr Lissu released unconditionally, because he is not guilty, has not lied, and has not incited violence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On internal unity, Mr Heche said: \u201cDifferences of opinion within a democratic party are not divisions; they are the foundation of robust debate and strong decision-making. When we agree to disagree respectfully and unite once decisions are made, Chadema gains unshakable moral and political strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the October 29, 2025, General Election, Mr Heche said it left Tanzania with political wounds that will take time to heal.<\/p>\n
He cited the abuse of state institutions, including the Registrar of Political Parties and the courts, against government critics and the opposition, particularly Chadema, which was allegedly barred from political activity under false pretexts.<\/p>\n
Mr Heche praised the No Reforms, No Election movement as a historic sign of public awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout systemic reforms, elections are not a solution but a problem. Citizens\u2019 voices have become a philosophy of political liberation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding deaths reported during the election period, Mr Heche said: \u201cThese were not ordinary political events; they were serious human rights violations against the principles of international law. That is why Chadema insists on a credible, independent, internationally represented investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed that internal mechanisms alone cannot address the scale of the harm.<\/p>\n
\u201cA nation that values its global reputation cannot remain silent while its citizens\u2019 blood is shed without truth and accountability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want a Tanzania governed by a living constitution, a pact of rights between citizens and the state, not empty words. A nation ruled by law that protects human rights as the foundation of dignity, not at the mercy of a few rulers,\u201d Mr Heche added.<\/p>\n
He said Chadema is demanding a new constitution to restore the integrity of votes, accountability, and access to justice for all, alongside an independent electoral commission to safeguard citizens\u2019 voices.<\/p>\n
\u201cReconciliation cannot exist without justice, and justice requires accountability. Without acknowledging wrongdoing and holding perpetrators responsible, reconciliation becomes a form of memory suppression,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The opposition party also criticised the Registrar of Political Parties for involvement in legal actions that suspended Chadema\u2019s political activities and seized party assets, describing the moves as attempts to silence the voice of justice and democracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dar es Salaam. Tanzania\u2019s opposition party Chadema has demanded the unconditional release of its national chairman, Mr Tundu…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[2446,152,2447],"class_list":{"0":"post-2721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tanzania","8":"tag-chadema","9":"tag-tanzania","10":"tag-tundu-lissu"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}