Tanzanian opposition leader found guilty of incitement

The Chadema leader was arrested six months before the poll, shortly after launching a campaign demanding changes to the electoral system under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election".Prosecutors accused him of making statements intended to incite the public to disrupt the election and threaten the government.They argued that his remarks, which were also circulated online, amounted to treason.But Lissu, a lawyer who represented himself during the trial, maintained that his comments were part of a legitimate political campaign for constitutional and electoral reform.He argued that prosecutors had taken his statements out of context and failed to prove that he had committed any crime.Some of the demands raised by Chadema were:Electoral commissioners should be independently appointed (not by the president)Police should allow all parties to campaign free of intimidationGovernment-appointed district chiefs should no longer act as returning officersParty agents should be able to observe counting without harassmentIt should be possible to challenge presidential election results in court.During his time in remand custody at Dar es Salaam's Ukonga Prison, Lissu went on hunger strike twice for b...