How ministers lost in the first single party General Election in 1965

Dar es Salaam. On September 30, 1965, the first General Election under a single political party system was held to elect a president and Members of Parliament.

Before that year, elections were held in Tanganyika under a multi-party system.

That was before the country’s constitution was amended to sideline opposition political parties. Tanzania’s new Parliament had 199 MPs.

In the polls results, a number of ministers and deputy ministers were defeated in their constituencies.

Ministers defeated in polls

The second vice president, Rashidi Kawawa, four ministers and one deputy minister were elected unopposed. The ministers were Oscar Kambona, Job Lusinde, Michael Kamaliza and Austin Shaba. The deputy minister was Francis Vincent Mponji.

But the minister for Finance, Paul Bomani, and the minister for Communications and Works George Kahama lost. In fact Kahama had lost in the primaries. Jeremiah Kasambala (Commercie and Cooperatives) also lost the election.

 The junior ministers who were defeated in the polls include Bibi Titi Mohamed, Elias Kisenge, Martin Hauli, Nicus Buhatwa, Edward Barongo, Frank Mfundo .

Bibi Titi was an influential Tanu politician and was also the leader of Tanu’s women’s wing, UWT. She failed to defend her Rufiji Parliamentary Seat and conceded defeat. In the polls results she garnered 7,343 votes against her opponent Athumani Mohamed’s 18,145, being a 10,802 vote victory.

Bomani was contesting Mwanza east. He polled 9636 votes while his opponent Zakaria Mchilu Madila polled 14, 146 votes. Nyerere appointed Bomani as an MP and returned him to the Cabinet.

In the polls results she garnered 7,343 votes against her opponent Athumani Mohamed’s 18,145, being a 10,802 vote victory.

 Eligibility to vote

According to historical records eligible voters for the presidential election had to have 21 years or above.

However, voters aged 18 or above were eligible to vote in any other election but not the presidential election. Despite that, the number of registered voters and that of those who turned up to vote differed according to source of information.

According to the website of African elections, in 1965 the number of registered voters was 3,373,089 and those who turned up to vote were 2,600,040.

However, a book titled ‘Area Handbook for Tanzania,’ Volume 550, 62nd edition authored by the American University (Washington, D.C.) published on January 31, 1968, says the number of registered voters in the polls was 3,359,714 and those, who turned up to vote were 2,266,000.

Among 803 contestants in the parliamentary polls, only 208 were endorsed in the Tanganyika African National Union (Tanu) primaries. Candidates who were in the ballot were 107.

Contestants in six constituencies sailed through unopposed.