,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #gef ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #bc 7legislative day1 ,october #ai71 #bjbj,mr4 ,menendez submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,urging the ,government of ,tanzania and all parties to respect human1 civil1 and political rights and ensure free and fair elections in ,october #bjbj1 and recognizing the importance of multi-party democracy in ,tanzania4 ,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 governance1 economic growth1 and improved access to health and education2 ,whereas respect for human1 civil1 and political rights and deepening multi-party democracy are essential to ,tanzania's long-term economic prosperity and continued political stability2 ,whereas the conduct of elections will have a significant impact on the trajectory of democratic growth in ,tanzania1 as well as its relationship with the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,tanzania has held successive multi-party elections since #aiie1 with the elections in #bjae being the most competitive to date1 despite substantial state interference in political organizing by the opposition1 both during and following the campaign period2 ,whereas1 since ,president ,john ,magufuli's election in #bjae1 the ,government of ,tanzania has adopted and enforced multiple repressive laws that restrict media freedoms1 and freedoms of expression1 assembly1 and association1 such as the ,cybercrimes ,act of #bjae1 the ,media ,services ,act of #bjaf1 the ,electronic and ,postal ,communications 7,online ,content7 ,regulations ,act of #bjbj1 the ,written ,laws 7,miscellaneous ,amendments7 7,no4 #c7 ,act1 #bjah1 and the ,written ,laws 7,miscellaneous ,amendments7 ,act ,no4 #c of #bjbj2 ,whereas the ,government of ,tanzania has promulgated onerous regulations that actively undermine the independent collection1 dissemination1 and publication of statistics without government approval1 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 officials2 ,whereas state actors have threatened1 arbitrarily arrested1 and attacked journalists with impunity1 and some journalists have disappeared2 ,whereas in mid-#bjaf1 the ,magufuli ,administration placed a ban on political party rallies until the #bjbj elections2 ,whereas political freedoms were further eroded following the amendment of the ,political ,parties ,act in ,january #bjai1 which granted ,tanzanian authorities sweeping powers to regulate the operations of opposition parties1 and private opposition political party meetings have been broken up by police2 ,whereas freedom of association has been limited through mandatory registration and reporting processes for nongovernmental organizations that are arbitrary in nature2 ,whereas1 in ,september #bjai1 the ,government of ,tanzania amended both the ,companies ,act and ,nongovernmental ,organization ,act1 which has severely restricted the ability of civil society organizations1 particularly those focused on democracy and human rights1 to receive foreign funds2 ,whereas opposition leaders have been threatened1 intimidated1 and physically attacked1 and the ,magafuli ,administration has failed to hold perpetrators accountable2 ,whereas ,president ,magufuli's failure to hold ,tanzanian government actors accountable for arbitrary arrests1 paired with actions to limit democratic space for civil society1 opposition parties1 and citizens of ,tanzania1 has undermined the ,tanzanian ,constitution and the rule of law2 ,whereas the ,government of ,tanzania has rapidly escalated its campaign of repression against the opposition in the lead-up to the ,october #bjbj elections1 through arbitrary and partisan legal action against opposition candidates and their parties1 which undermines democratic principles of fair play and potentially calls into question the credibility of the country's ,october polls2 ,whereas some ,united ,states companies operating in ,tanzania have reported harassment1 corruption1 and lack of respect for contracts and business operations1 which threatens future ,united ,states business investment and trade partnerships2 and ,whereas the ,government of ,tanzania's claim that the ,novel ,coronavirus 7,,covid-#ai7 has been eliminated in the country1 and its suppression of information related to the pandemic have not only placed citizens' health at risk1 but have also violated citizens' freedom of speech and right of access to information3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 urges the ,government of ,tanzania to ensure that the ,october #bjbj elections are conducted in a free1 fair1 credible1 transparent1 and peaceful manner that enables citizens of ,tanzania the opportunity to exercise their right to vote2 7#b7 urges the ,government of ,tanzania to legally guarantee and respect the rights enshrined in its ,constitution1 particularly the rights to freedom of movement1 expression1 information1 religion1 and association1 as well as equality1 privacy1 and personal security2 7#c7 urges the ,government of ,tanzania to foster a robust1 market-led business environment conducive to continued ,united ,states trade and investment in ,tanzania1 including respect for the legal and contractual rights of ,united ,states companies operating in ,tanzania2 7#d7 calls upon the ,government of ,tanzania and ,president ,magufuli-- 7,a7 to repeal repressive laws that are contrary to the principles of good governance1 a healthy democracy1 and the rights enumerated in the ,tanzanian ,constitution2 7,b7 to allow citizens1 civil society organizations1 and political parties to assemble peacefully and express their views freely2 7,c7 to immediately lift the ban on political activities and allow opposition parties to hold political rallies and demonstrations at any time1 both during and outside of election periods2 7,d7 to provide transparent1 consistent1 and nonintrusive procedures for nongovernmental organizations to register and to enable them to carry out programs and other legal activity absent arbitrary state interference1 including with respect to receiving funding or cooperating with foreign organizations2 7,e7 to safeguard press freedom1 in accordance with the ,tanzanian ,constitution and the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights2 7,f7 to condemn threats and attacks against ,members of ,parliament and opposition political parties1 and ensure accountability for harassment1 intimidation1 or physical attacks on members of the opposition2 7,g7 to end the escalating campaign of arbitrary and partisan legal action against opposition candidates and their parties in the lead-up to the ,october #bjbj elections2 and 7,h7 to guarantee the ability of domestic and international election observers to monitor the ,october #bjbj polls without hindrance2 and 7#e7 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 citizens1 in accordance with its international obligations and the ,tanzanian ,constitution1 including by-- 7,a7 considering the imposition of targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on actors involved in perpetrating or abetting human rights abuses2 7,b7 leading international partners and institutions1 including those in ,africa1 in developing and implementing strategies and actions to promote and defend human1 civil1 and political rights and multi-party democracy in ,tanzania2 7,c7 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 #bjbj polls do not meet internationally accepted standards for credible elections2 and 7,d7 demanding the ,government of ,tanzania conduct full and public investigations that ensure judicial accountability for acts of violence perpetrated against political opposition1 journalists1 and members of civil society4