Tanzanian Observers Praise Organization of Russian Elections

 Tanzanian international observers who worked at the elections to the Russian State Duma have highly praised the organization of the electoral process, calling it transparent, peaceful, and technologically advanced, a correspondent for African Initiative reports.

The Tanzanian delegation included Salma Iddi and Michael Leo, who observed the elections in Khabarovsk Krai; Guyeka Kuzenza, who worked in Murmansk Oblast; and Jalilu Issa, who monitored voting in Omsk Oblast. The observers visited polling stations in schools, industrial zones, and Khabarovsk International Airport, as well as the election commission headquarters, where they monitored the final vote count.

According to Salma Iddi, who worked in Khabarovsk Krai, she was particularly impressed by the attention to transparency and accessibility of the voting procedure.

"My experience was very educational and memorable. What impressed me most was the attention paid to transparency and accessibility. I saw transparent ballot boxes, surveillance cameras, public observers, and special voting materials for visually impaired citizens. Conditions were also provided for elderly people, persons with disabilities, and people who could not come to the polling stations," Iddi shared.

She also noted that, despite differences in the legal and political systems of Tanzania and Russia, her country could study and adapt a number of Russian practices — from broader use of technology to strengthen transparency to materials for visually impaired voters and locating polling stations in convenient places, including transport hubs.

Guyeka Kuzenza, who worked in Murmansk Oblast, called his experience informative and educational. He was most impressed by the attention to transparency, accessibility, and the use of technology.

"In Murmansk, I visited the video surveillance center, where election-related processes from polling stations could be monitored, with teams from various stakeholders involved in the observation," Kuzenza said.

According to him, the election commission headed by Anton Bogomolov, Chairman of the Murmansk Regional Election Commission, and his team were open and provided all necessary information for observation.

"Voting was conducted secretly, polling stations operated from 08:00 to 20:00, and video surveillance systems were used both inside and outside the polling stations. I also noted remote and mobile voting mechanisms, accessibility for people with disabilities, and well-trained election commission staff," the observer added.

Ngole Anastasia Adrian, who worked as an observer at a polling station in Dar es Salaam, where 75 compatriots came to vote, also shared her impressions of participating in the process.

"The elections were peaceful, everyone was treated with respect. I did not see any violations of the rules while I was at the polling station. The organizers showed goodwill and organization," Adrian stated.

According to her, such experience is important for strengthening trust in electoral processes and exchanging best practices between countries.

Elections to the 9th State Duma were held from September 18 to 20.