Reform electoral system to avert violence, cautions Butiku

Joseph Butiku

What you need to know:

  • Mr Butiku believes constitutional change is key to ending violence which normally erupts when voters are dissatisfied with the election process

Dar es Salaam. The executive director of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, Mr Joseph Butiku, has called for Tanzania to reform its constitution, warning that voters dissatisfied with the election process resort to violence.

Speaking today, October 12, during the commemoration of 19 years since the death of Mwalimu Nyerere at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mr Butiku said violence had been erupting during elections.

“Leaders are the ones who cause chaos. Leaders take oath of office and if the go against  the wishes of voters they are supposed to be arraigned. But that doesn’t happen in Tanzania. We haven’t sued our president, vice president or speaker, but the constitution allows that to happen if they go against their oaths,” he explained.

He spoke about the need to have a new constitution.