25th October, 2015...Another Africa's Great Elections Sunday

On Sunday, 25th October, 2015, about 30.5 million people in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire will be going to the polls. This implies two presidential elections in Africa on the same day.

 

The last Africa's Great Elections Sunday was on 31st October, 2010, whereby Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire and Niger held their elections on the same day. Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire had two presidential polls, whereas, Niger had a referendum.

In Côte d'Ivoire there are 10  presidential candidates who are going to be voted by about 6.5 million Ivoirians. Ivorians will either be electing a new president or give a second mandate to the incumbent president, Alassane Ouattara.

Côte d'Ivoire's October 25 election presents an opportunity for the country to close a divisive chapter of its history, which followed after the 2010 post-election, leaving more than 3000 Ivorians dead and almost a million displaced.

On the other hand, about 24 Million Tanzanians are going to the polls to elect a new president among 8 candidates. However, the tight race is between Dk. John Pombe Magufuli of the ruling party, CCM, and opposition coalition (UKAWA) candidate, former Prime Minister Edward Ngoyai Lowassa.

For Tanzania, it will be another opportunity to demonstrate to the world their political and democratic maturity. With the discovery of gas and Uranium and possibly petroleum in the near future, analysts predict that the new president will lead Tanzania to become an industrialized country.

For us, we pray that all these elections will take place peacefully and that losers will accept defeat and congratulate the winners (The culture we do not have in Africa).

God Bless Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire.

God Bless Africa.