A TOTAL of 12 foreign entities, including 10 embassies, two regional organisations and one international civil society group have been approved as international observers in the coming general election.

Ramadhani Kailima, elections director at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said in a statement yesterday that the embassies cleared to observe the polls are those of Denmark, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the United Kingdom   and the United States.

Regional and international organisations receiving observer status are the European Union (EU), the East African Community (EAC) and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, he said.

Approved organisations were reminded that they are expected to adhere strictly to electoral law and poll conduct regulations. Voter education groups will be contacted via email through the registration system to submit additional details, including the names of personnel involved, it specified.

Election observers must also provide the names and deployment locations of their observers through the same digital system to enable INEC to prepare and issue the necessary permits, it said.

INEC has formally granted permits to 252 local and international organisations to provide voter education and observe the upcoming October 2025 General Election, ias part of transparency obligations in election monitoring underlining international conventions and Commonwealth procedures.

A total of 164 local institutions have been authorised to conduct voter education while 76 other organisations are permitted to act as domestic election observers, the director affirmed.

These approvals are in line with provisions of Section 10(1)(g)(h) of the Independent National Electoral Commission Act No. 2 of 2024, read with Regulation 22 of the 2024 Election Commission Regulations.

At a meeting held on July 18, the commission reviewed and approved applications from 164 civil society organisations for voter education and from 76 local and 12 international institutions for election observation, the statement noted.

The key regulations stipulate that election observers must remain non-partisan, independent and objective, while being prohibited from interfering in the electoral process or favouring any political party or candidate.

Observers risk losing their accreditation if they violate election laws, immigration rules or INEC guidelines. Misconduct such as campaigning, partisan alignment or failure to submit required reports can result in immediate revocation of observer status and potentially permanent disqualification from future observation missions.

“Once their observation is complete, all accredited observers are required to submit comprehensive reports to INEC within two months, outlining their findings, identification details, any electoral issues noted and recommendations,” analysts noted in regard with specific demands.

They are also required to return their official identification and any INEC-issued materials upon request. “Observers must not publish or share any findings with the media or on social platforms before submitting their official report to the commission and receiving formal acknowledgment,” the director emphasized.

Authorised observers will be granted access to polling stations and permitted to monitor voting, counting and result collation processes, subject to guidelines and approved locations.

Observers are strictly prohibited from using mobile phones, video or audio recorders, cameras, or radios inside polling centres, issuing public statements or commentary before reporting to the commission and performing roles that interfere with election officials or mimicking investigative agencies.

They must also report any irregularities without disrupting the process and declare any conflict of interest to INEC beforehand, the regulations underline.

The latest move underscores INEC’s commitment to openness, civic empowerment, and accountability in the upcoming elections—seen as a crucial milestone in Tanzania’s democratic journey, analysts believe.