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As Tanzania prepares to go to the polls on Sunday 31 October for presidential and parliamentary elections, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili is launching special programming dedicated to the country.

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili multimedia content will also feature on ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service's English-language programming for Africa, including the flagship evening and morning news programmes, Focus On Africa and Network Africa, as well as on ´óÏó´«Ã½ World News television channel.

From Wednesday 27 October to Tuesday 2 November, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili will offer daily multimedia reports, interviews, commentary and analysis, as well as audience interaction, putting the spotlight on the election campaigns of President Jakaya Kikwete and six other contenders for president. As it covers the campaigning and the outcome of the elections, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili will be bringing to the fore the key issues and challenges that are fuelling Tanzania's presidential and parliamentary elections and ultimately shaping the nation's future.

´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili teams will be joined by journalists from the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s rebroadcasting partner FM stations in Tanzania, RFA and Radio One, during the final week of the election campaign. Leading the special election coverage project is ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Hassan Mhelela: "We are looking forward to working alongside our partner radio stations to cover this important moment in Tanzanian and regional development.

"´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili's largest audience is in Tanzania, and the country's general elections are an excellent opportunity to take a look at issues that matter to people there, putting those issues in the regional and wider African context. There is a lot to explore."

As part of the Tanzania special, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili will be investigating the following subjects:

• Tanzania has never had ethnic clashes and is known for its relatively peaceful political environment – what stands behind this harmony?
• Why is a region, which mines unique gemstones such as Tanzanite, so poor?
• For the first time in 15 years, people in Zanzibar are running organised campaigns, having gone through tough times in 1995, 2000 and 2005. How have they managed to settle their ideological differences following the referendum in July 2010? And what will the post-election government of national unity look like?
• Land ownership is an issue in the southern regions of Tanzania, where foreign companies are buying large pieces of land to produce bio-fuel, leaving local people with nothing. Who should be held accountable?

The special content will feature on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili key radio news and current-affairs programming – Amka Na ´óÏó´«Ã½ (06.00 local time), Dira Ya Dunia (18.30) and Leo Afrika (20.45) – as well as online on bbcswahili.com.

´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service International Publicity