Tanzania's registrar of political parties has threatened to suspend or fine the main opposition party, Chadema, over alleged "incitement" and anti-government remarks, The Citizen reported on May 15. In a May 7 letter giving the party until May 20 to respond, the registrar accused Chadema leaders of violating the Political Parties Act by calling for nationwide protests demanding the release of party chair Tundu Lissu and describing President Samia Suluhu Hassan as an "unelected authoritarian ruler."

In April 2025, Chadema was barred from participating in the controversial October elections, which subsequently saw Hassan win with 98% of the vote. Meanwhile, party leader Lissu remains jailed on treason charges linked to his "No Reforms, No Election" campaign, although no conviction has been reached due to ongoing procedural delays and pre-trial hearings. At the same time, a government commission investigating postelection violence reported in April that 518 people, including 502 civilians, had died of "unnatural causes," whereas opposition parties have claimed several thousand deaths, with some reports suggesting the toll may have reached 10,000.