Electoral Constituency Allocation and Renaming Process Begins

Process to Begin Allocation and Renaming of Electoral Constituencies

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially launched the process to review, allocate, and potentially rename electoral constituencies. Proposals for these changes will be accepted until March 26, 2025.

Judge Jacobs Mwambegele, the INEC Chairman, made the announcement following a commission meeting in Morogoro Region on February 26, 2025.

"In line with Regulation 18(1) of the Independent National Electoral Commission Regulations of 2024, I am pleased to inform the public that as of today, the Independent National Electoral Commission will initiate the process of reviewing and allocating or renaming electoral constituencies," Judge Mwambegele stated.

The INEC Chairman outlined that applications for the allocation or renaming of constituencies must be submitted within 30 days, concluding on March 26, 2025.

This process is being carried out in accordance with Article 74(6)(c) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania (1977), and Section 10(1)(d) of the Independent National Electoral Commission Act No. 2 of 2024. These legal provisions empower the commission to review electoral boundaries and designate constituencies for parliamentary elections across the country.

Further clarifying the framework, Judge Mwambegele noted that, according to Article 75(4) of the Constitution, this boundary review and allocation process should occur periodically, at least once every ten years. The last such review took place in 2015, resulting in the creation of 26 new constituencies.

The Chairman also urged stakeholders with proposals to engage in discussions within their District Advisory Committees before submitting them to the Regional Administrative Secretary. These proposals, after receiving approval at the regional level, should then be forwarded to the commission along with any supporting documents.

In terms of criteria, Judge Mwambegele emphasized that factors such as population density would play a crucial role in determining constituencies. Urban constituencies are expected to have an average population of 600,000, while rural constituencies should average 400,000 residents. The population data to be utilized will come from the 2022 Population and Housing Census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics. Other factors include the economic standing of the area, geographical features, the size of the area, administrative boundaries, and the accessibility of communication routes. The commission also requires that no constituency span across two districts or councils.

The capacity of the parliamentary hall and the number of special seats designated for women MPs will also be taken into account during the evaluation process.

Additionally, Judge Mwambegele reminded councils wishing to rename their constituencies to adhere to the same procedures followed for constituency allocation requests.