Tanzania's opposition wants more young people involved in politics

But the opposition in Tanzania - a country which will also hold elections later this year - would like to change that.

The coalition wants the minimum age lowered to 15 in the country.

They believe that at that age young people are mature enough to make informed decisions about life, and that would include politics.

They also point out that the country's life expectancy has dropped from an average of 52 years to about 48. This, they argue, has prompted the need to allow younger people the chance to participate in the country's politics and development.

The BBC's Africa Live programme asks: Should the voting age in your country be lowered in order to enfranchise more younger people?

How do you think politics can be made more appealing to teenagers?

Join the debate on the BBC's Africa Live, Wednesday 14 at 1630 & 1830GMT.

Use the form on the right to send us your comments, some of which will be published below.

If you would like to take part in the discussion, e-mail us with your telephone number, which will not be published.

Your comments:

As long as politicians recruit children to carry guns and shoot people - look at the armies of many African nations - then, letting these very same children choose their leaders is the least they could do.
Dimandja, USA

When I lived in Zaire, I saw the sort of conditions under which daily rural life endured. I have to say that what I saw then was enough to bring me out of my Western ethno-centric paradigm of maturity at 18. The average 15 year-old in sub-Saharan Africa is more mature and worldly than many I know in the USA who are 25. I cannot disagree with the stance of the opposition in Tanzania, for many 15 year-olds in Africa daily make life and death decisions and face tribulations that people like me who are cosily living in the Western world will never know or understand.
James Isaacs, USA

Tanzania is showing once again that it has the highest intellect in all Africa. It is not afraid of its citizens and it treats them with the respect they deserve. All other countries, such as my own country, regard citizens as enemies of the state and has raised the voting age on the assumption that young people do not understand the so called struggle for independence (struggle for presidential personal wealth). Africa is about suppression, not liberation.
Benson Magaba, Zimbabwe

It is practically legal for a 15 year-old to participate and even kill people in African conflict, so they should be given the right to vote.
Tarfa Habib, US/Nigeria

Although at 15 people are more aware of things around, there is still a lack of experience, which politicians may take advantage of. A 15 year old is not ignorant, but it takes time to develop a sense of critic and analysis even for a person's own good.
Caroline, Cote d'Ivoire

In many sub-Saharan countries the life expectancy is less than 40 years, 15-year-olds commonly serve in both regular and irregular armies, and most persons have finished their formal education. So 15 makes sense.
Jon Davis, USA

Politicians asking or trying to bring down the voting age to 15 to vote are simply trying to introduce rough politics to youths fooling them to vote for them or fight in wars. If the expectancy age rate has dropped, it simply demands a better way to improve on people's lives by providing better health care, more food from all the vast natural wealth Africa has.You will only know that Africa is reach when you visit Europe and America.
Issa Koroma, Canada

In as much as young people at 15 have their own mind, most of them will still be in secondary school and will be easily manipulated by their teachers. Lowering the voting age is not the answer but educating the youth on what is expected of them in elections is. Remember corrupt politicians use young ones during elections to perpetuate fraud.
Chinedu Ibeabuchi, Nigeria

Let us not forget that voting decides an important issue, more than that, the future of a nation. We cannot allow kids whose minds are still "over dull" sell the destiny of a nation to wrong hands. We shall rue for that, but we shan't be able to turn back the hands of time, for "innocent" people did what we were not expecting them to when we offered them a chance.
Leonel Muchano, Mozambique

Sure, lower the voting age. Arguing that 15 year olds should not vote because they can be easily influenced and can not make rational decisions is a completely baseless argument. If 30 to 50 year old men and women who society refers to as 'mature' have been influenced to vote for certain politicians because the politicians were their relatives or gave them packets of flour or sugar, then why not allow the 15 year olds to vote? In the past there have been cases of senile people being allowed to vote and no one has ever objected to this. These senile people are brought to voting centres by neighbours or relatives and they are given instructions on which party or which candidate to vote for.
Maureen Mweru, Kenyan in Germany

I think at 18 one is old enough to make meaningful political decisions. Certainly not at 15. 16 may be. Am of the view therefore that the current voting age of 18 should be maintained.
Pacharo Kayira, Malawi

I think age does not have much to do with maturity, especially in Africa where responsibility is learned at a much younger age. If the life expectancy is lower why not the voting age? Not to mention that adults are not always fully responsible and educated to make decisions. In United States the percentage of adults who vote is dropping anyway. Why not add teenagers to the voting polls?
Katie, American in Switzerland

I strongly disagree to the lowering of voting age. Reducing the age to 15 is putting too much responsibility on a kid. Let the kids have a childhood before having to think about politics, who wins or who doesn't win. We have enough adults that can use good judgement to vote for a leader. Talking from experience, when I was 15 years old, I was not interested in politics, what makes us believe that the 15 year-olds of today would be interested in politics? 18 is the legal acceptable age. I would say leave it at that.
Ngozi C.O, US

Yes Yes Yes, African teenagers are more mature than teenagers that grew up with video games in Western societies. Many of them get married.
Wendu Regassa Awash, Ethiopia/US

When people have the knowledge and experience to understand the impact of their actions on themselves and others, then they have the intelligence to be able to vote. I doubt that any teenager under 18 or many adults under 21, have enough knowledge to be able to vote. Voting ages should be raised, not lowered. Modern society is gradually dumping down and as a result the ages for marriage, for sex, and for cigarettes and alcohol consumption should also be raised until people take responsibility for their actions.
Jon Winter, England

I strongly believe that people in Africa between the ages of 18 and 20 are not yet qualified to vote, considering the high rate of political instabilities in the continent brought about by gross ignorance displayed by the electorate during voting. One must not only be fully matured, but properly acquainted with the political happenings in one's country, then also, decide critically on the near consequences of his part in the whole electoral process: this will go a long way to promote stability in Africa.
Chidi Nwokedi in Ota Ogun State Nigeria

The voting age set for 18 reflects the notion that many people below that age - most of whom are still in high school and worrying about things other than the politics of the day- lack the discernment necessary in choosing a leader and are more likely to succumb to false promises. We should still maintain the voting age at 18 - the age of adulthood as recognised by the majority of the world and as defined by the UN in the Convention for the Rights of the Child. Lowering the voting age in Tanzania is probably for the benefit of the politicians but not out of a great concern for the ability of the 15 year old to have a voice in government.
Wairimu Kuria, Kenyan in US

Lowering the age will bring more chaos to an already confused political set up in Africa. What is needed is a total orientation of the political class in Africa: Teach them how to loose elections with honour like Al Gore did.
Don, Nigeria

Young people should not vote until the age of 18 and even then maturity is not always a given. Let's say as we grow older we are less influenced by politicians.
Charles , Montreal, Canada

The danger in lowering the voting age to 15, is that it effectively lowers the age of consent for everything else. The door is then open for abuse ranging from the lowering of the statutory rape age to the justification of child labor. It is a slippery slope.
Wangeshi Gatheru, Kenya

Yes, the voting age should be lowered. Youths in Africa start work at younger ages and have more family responsibilities than normal American families.
Lamuel Wilson, US

No, I don't think the voting age should be dropped to 15 because at this age the child is not mature enough to make a good decision for themselves.
Abraham Kla, Liberia

I firmly believe in Islam and in most cases a person of 14 years age is considered an adult and I believe all adults should be able to vote. So I think the voting age should be lowered to 14 years.
Sajjad Altaf, US

I think 15 is a bit too low but possibly 16 would be a good age for the much ignored youths to start getting politically involved. After all, in a typical African home, a child starts to be politically aware before they can talk due to the numerous political talks around the table everyday by their parents and extended family members. If they can fight wars (child soldiers), work (child labour) then they can vote.
Sheila, South African in US

Here in South Africa, the age has been dropped to 16 and we are in an election year! It will be interesting to see how this affects the election. I believe it is ludicrous because at this age you are still heavily influenced by your parents and peer pressure and are not mature enough to make an individual choice! It is a way for politicians to ensure their stay in power.
Kyle Bowman, South Africa

I wonder which South Africa Bowman lives in, the one I live in has not changed the voting age, it is still 18. Is it not interesting that nearly all those who think the voting age in Africa should be lowered are from the US? If they think that is so great, why are they not campaigning for legislation to be changed in the US.
Rosemary, South Africa

I don't think taking a teenage person at the age of 15 years old to vote is a good idea, whether the life expectancy as gone down or not it makes no sense. Politics needs creativity, a mature mind and to me, persons under 18 years should not participate in politics.
Daniel Kibaga, Kenya

It does not mean because life expectancy in Africa is low that we should lower the voting or marriage age. "Adult age" has been 18 over millennia. This is the age when it is presumed that an individual is adult enough to make mature decisions. Mature age may go lower but, I guess not as low as 15. Someone will soon suggest 14, 13 or even 12. Psychology and common sense has it that teenagers are in transition between childhood and adulthood. We should understand comprehensively what "maturity" is if we are to make laws concerning age. In fact since many children experience stunted growth due to malnutrition, the voting age should be raised to 20 until all people can have "mature" brains by 18. Malnutrition in Africa makes young adults look and/or feel like children. Voting is a serious issue, so children should not vote.
Elias Mutungi, Uganda/USA

Voting age in developed, democratic nations have been successfully lowered, because, youths now enter and graduate from colleges and universities, earn money and hold responsible jobs and positions at a younger age. Africa should not be an exception. In a continent where children and youths are often drafted and conscripted to fight in tribal wars, it's better to nurture them in the culture of democracy, diversity, tolerance and multi-culturalism, through the electoral process and ballot-box initiatives, as opposed to delaying their participation in the electoral process--an innovation that can influence other African nations still inclined to resisting youthful, political activism. Furthermore, lowering voting age will also introduce youths to constitutional principles and methods of orderly and acceptable systems of government based on free and fair elections.
Igonikon Jack, USA

Utter nonsense. At 15 years old, most kids are thinking of the opposite sex, their acne breakout and hanging out at the Mall. If a 15 year old is not able to fend for themselves what makes the Tanzanian opposition think they are able to make political decisions? At 18 you are considered old enough and hopefully wise enough to take care of one's self, pay bills and make your own decisions. Let kids be kids and stop expediting their growing up process.
P O, Texas , USA

I don't think 15 is unreasonable at all for minimum voting age across Africa. In some cases if the youth is the actual head of the house then they should be allowed to vote regardless of age. We shouldn't look through this with "Western eyes" as we have done too many times in africa. Also in the US they say "if they are old enough to die in the military, then they should be old enough to vote". I think this should apply to Africa but that might bring the voting age down to about 10 or so. Of course in America they say the same thing about drinking.
Pete Kramer, US

The Tanzanian opposition idea of allowing children as young as 15 to vote is moronic. A 15 year old hasn't time to think about politics. They need that time to learn and play. This idea is akin to saying it is okay to force 15 year old children to serve in the military, thus sent to war. This is a very bad idea.
Mpeti Otola, DR Congo/US

While on the surface it may appear that lowering the voting age in Tanzania and other African countries will be beneficial, when you think of the state of many children in Africa, it may not help at all. With children losing parents to AIDS by the minute, being forced to work for incredibly low wages instead of learning in school or fighting in rebel armies to survive, could voting at 15 be another avenue of control that the wealthy would hold over impoverished children? Believe me, it hurts to be pessimistic about Africa, but I think this is more than a voting issue.
Jason R. Harshman, US

Yes, the voting age should be lowered in Africa because some of our children feel bad when they are told not to go out and vote during election period. I suggest they should reduce the age of voting in Africa to 16 so that we can get more voters in our election.
Joshua Daniel, Nigeria

No, the age should not be reduced. It is not just the right thing. If possible they should increase it from 18 to 19 or 20, because the young ones need to grow and learn from the elders.
Nkosi, Zambia

Yes, the voting must be lowered not only to 14 years, but to as low as 10. Just like anything, if young people are taught about the importance of voting at an early age, it would not be difficult when they grow up. Young people around the world are not interested in politics simply because they were disenfranchised at early stage, so in their minds, politics is for older people. Just like the old adage 'it is difficult to teach new tricks to an old dog.'
Paul Kudinha, Zimbabwe