Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the extent to which social media has become an alternative space in Tanzania for political expression and assembly. It focuses on the use of social media by opposition parties - focusing on Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo.

Paper long abstract:

As civic space is been squeezed in many countries around the world, literature has documented social media's ability to create space for citizens and civil society. In Tanzania, civic space in particular the freedom of expression, assembly and association are increasingly shrinking. The constitutional rights of opposition political parties have been restricted with temporal ban on political rallies. This paper explores the extent to which social media has become an alternative space in Tanzania for political expression and assembly. It focuses on the use of social media by opposition parties - focusing on Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo. The paper is unique out of its attention on political parties as opposed to civil society, which have been much of the focus in the various analyses of social media and civic space. The paper seeks to answer two questions: (1) how and to what extent has social media provide space for political parties when traditional spaces are restricted? And (2) have the opposition parties in Tanzania deployed social media strategy as an alternative space and how effective is the strategy? The paper will explore these questions through practice perspectives, which emphasises practitioners' activities in a situated context. Data will be collected in multiple ways including interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentary analysis. The analysis will be done through narrative structuring, which is capable at capturing real-life phenomena without undermining agency. The paper will underscore the practices within party organisational structures in ensuring party survival in continuous state of restrictions.