Title: A resolution urging the Government of Tanzania and all parties to respect human, civil, and political rights and ensure free and fair elections in October 2020, and recognizing the importance of multi-party democracy in Tanzania.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution urges Tanzania to ensure free and fair elections in 2020, to guarantee and respect the human and constitutional rights of its citizens, and to foster a business environment that is conducive to continued U.S. trade and investment in Tanzania.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 756 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 756

  Urging the Government of Tanzania and all parties to respect human, 
   civil, and political rights and ensure free and fair elections in 
 October 2020, and recognizing the importance of multi-party democracy 
                              in Tanzania.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             October 23 (legislative day, October 19), 2020

Mr. Menendez submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Urging the Government of Tanzania and all parties to respect human, 
   civil, and political rights and ensure free and fair elections in 
 October 2020, and recognizing the importance of multi-party democracy 
                              in Tanzania.

Whereas the United States has an important interest in supporting democracy in 
        Tanzania and has consistently demonstrated support for the people of 
        Tanzania through efforts to advance good governance, economic growth, 
        and improved access to health and education;
Whereas respect for human, civil, and political rights and deepening multi-party 
        democracy are essential to Tanzania's long-term economic prosperity and 
        continued political stability;
Whereas the conduct of elections will have a significant impact on the 
        trajectory of democratic growth in Tanzania, as well as its relationship 
        with the United States;
Whereas Tanzania has held successive multi-party elections since 1995, with the 
        elections in 2015 being the most competitive to date, despite 
        substantial state interference in political organizing by the 
        opposition, both during and following the campaign period;
Whereas, since President John Magufuli's election in 2015, the Government of 
        Tanzania has adopted and enforced multiple repressive laws that restrict 
        media freedoms, and freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, 
        such as the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, the Media Services Act of 2016, the 
        Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations Act of 
        2020, the Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) Act, 2018, and 
        the Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act No. 3 of 2020;
Whereas the Government of Tanzania has promulgated onerous regulations that 
        actively undermine the independent collection, dissemination, and 
        publication of statistics without government approval, and suspended or 
        halted activities by multiple newspapers and digital and broadcast media 
        outlets in retaliation for publishing content deemed critical of the 
        state or officials;
Whereas state actors have threatened, arbitrarily arrested, and attacked 
        journalists with impunity, and some journalists have disappeared;
Whereas in mid-2016, the Magufuli Administration placed a ban on political party 
        rallies until the 2020 elections;
Whereas political freedoms were further eroded following the amendment of the 
        Political Parties Act in January 2019, which granted Tanzanian 
        authorities sweeping powers to regulate the operations of opposition 
        parties, and private opposition political party meetings have been 
        broken up by police;
Whereas freedom of association has been limited through mandatory registration 
        and reporting processes for nongovernmental organizations that are 
        arbitrary in nature;
Whereas, in September 2019, the Government of Tanzania amended both the 
        Companies Act and Nongovernmental Organization Act, which has severely 
        restricted the ability of civil society organizations, particularly 
        those focused on democracy and human rights, to receive foreign funds;
Whereas opposition leaders have been threatened, intimidated, and physically 
        attacked, and the Magafuli Administration has failed to hold 
        perpetrators accountable;
Whereas President Magufuli's failure to hold Tanzanian government actors 
        accountable for arbitrary arrests, paired with actions to limit 
        democratic space for civil society, opposition parties, and citizens of 
        Tanzania, has undermined the Tanzanian Constitution and the rule of law;
Whereas the Government of Tanzania has rapidly escalated its campaign of 
        repression against the opposition in the lead-up to the October 2020 
        elections, through arbitrary and partisan legal action against 
        opposition candidates and their parties, which undermines democratic 
        principles of fair play and potentially calls into question the 
        credibility of the country's October polls;
Whereas some United States companies operating in Tanzania have reported 
        harassment, corruption, and lack of respect for contracts and business 
        operations, which threatens future United States business investment and 
        trade partnerships; and
Whereas the Government of Tanzania's claim that the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) 
        has been eliminated in the country, and its suppression of information 
        related to the pandemic have not only placed citizens' health at risk, 
        but have also violated citizens' freedom of speech and right of access 
        to information: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) urges the Government of Tanzania to ensure that the 
        October 2020 elections are conducted in a free, fair, credible, 
        transparent, and peaceful manner that enables citizens of 
        Tanzania the opportunity to exercise their right to vote;
            (2) urges the Government of Tanzania to legally guarantee 
        and respect the rights enshrined in its Constitution, 
        particularly the rights to freedom of movement, expression, 
        information, religion, and association, as well as equality, 
        privacy, and personal security;
            (3) urges the Government of Tanzania to foster a robust, 
        market-led business environment conducive to continued United 
        States trade and investment in Tanzania, including respect for 
        the legal and contractual rights of United States companies 
        operating in Tanzania;
            (4) calls upon the Government of Tanzania and President 
        Magufuli--
                    (A) to repeal repressive laws that are contrary to 
                the principles of good governance, a healthy democracy, 
                and the rights enumerated in the Tanzanian 
                Constitution;
                    (B) to allow citizens, civil society organizations, 
                and political parties to assemble peacefully and 
                express their views freely;
                    (C) to immediately lift the ban on political 
                activities and allow opposition parties to hold 
                political rallies and demonstrations at any time, both 
                during and outside of election periods;
                    (D) to provide transparent, consistent, and 
                nonintrusive procedures for nongovernmental 
                organizations to register and to enable them to carry 
                out programs and other legal activity absent arbitrary 
                state interference, including with respect to receiving 
                funding or cooperating with foreign organizations;
                    (E) to safeguard press freedom, in accordance with 
                the Tanzanian Constitution and the Universal 
                Declaration of Human Rights;
                    (F) to condemn threats and attacks against Members 
                of Parliament and opposition political parties, and 
                ensure accountability for harassment, intimidation, or 
                physical attacks on members of the opposition;
                    (G) to end the escalating campaign of arbitrary and 
                partisan legal action against opposition candidates and 
                their parties in the lead-up to the October 2020 
                elections; and
                    (H) to guarantee the ability of domestic and 
                international election observers to monitor the October 
                2020 polls without hindrance; and
            (5) calls on the United States Government to continue to 
        speak out against democratic backsliding in Tanzania and hold 
        the Government of Tanzania accountable for respecting the 
        rights of its citizens, in accordance with its international 
        obligations and the Tanzanian Constitution, including by--
                    (A) considering the imposition of targeted 
                sanctions and visa restrictions on actors involved in 
                perpetrating or abetting human rights abuses;
                    (B) leading international partners and 
                institutions, including those in Africa, in developing 
                and implementing strategies and actions to promote and 
                defend human, civil, and political rights and multi-
                party democracy in Tanzania;
                    (C) immediately conducting a review of United 
                States Government assistance and cooperation with the 
                Government of Tanzania for the purposes of 
                reprioritizing such assistance should neutral observers 
                determine that the October 2020 polls do not meet 
                internationally accepted standards for credible 
                elections; and
                    (D) demanding the Government of Tanzania conduct 
                full and public investigations that ensure judicial 
                accountability for acts of violence perpetrated against 
                political opposition, journalists, and members of civil 
                society.
                                 <all>