At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Tanzania

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Benjamin William MKAPA
• Head of Government: President Benjamin William MKAPA
• Assembly: Tanzania has a unicameral National Assembly (Bunge) with 275 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Bunge), 232 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms, 75 members are allocated for women to serve 5-year terms, 5 members are allocated to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are filled .

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Jakaya KIKWETE
  • Party: Revolutionary Party / Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
• Ibrahim LIPUMBA
  • Party: Civic United Front (CUF)
• Freeman MBOWE
  • Party: Party of Democracy and Development (CHADEMA) / Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo
• Augustine Lyatonga MREMA
  • Party: Tanzania Labor Party (TLP)
• Edmund MVUNGI*****
  • Alliance: N/A
• Christopher MTIKLA
  • Party: Democratic Party
• Emmanuel MAKAIDI
  • Party: National League for Democracy
• Anne SENKORO
  • Party: Progress Party of Tanzania
• Leonard SHAYO
  • Party: Calm Democratic Party / Chama Cha Demokrasia Makini
• Peter KYARA
  • Party: Voice of People / Sauti Ya Umma

***** United Democratic Party (UDP), Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford), NCCR-Mageuzi, National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA), and United People's Democratic Party.

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on October 29, 2000. Benjamin William MKAPA was reelected president with 71.7% of the vote against Ibrahim Haruna LIPUMBA (16.3%).

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 39,065,600 (2005)
• Registered Voters: 16,401,694 (December 2005 est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 19,671,083 (2005)

·         Is Tanzania a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Tanzania ratified CEDAW: Yes (20 August 1985)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 97 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 151 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Tanzania a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Tanzanisa ratified CRPD: Yes (10 November 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 5,859,840 (est.)