Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a landslide victory in the country’s disputed presidential election, winning 97.66 per cent of the vote amid an opposition boycott, allegations of repression, and violent protests that have drawn international concern.
Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission announced the results on Saturday, confirming Hassan’s near-total dominance in every constituency following Wednesday’s polls.
State media reported that her swearing-in ceremony would take place later in the day in Dodoma, the nation’s administrative capital.
However, the outcome has been widely condemned by the opposition and civil society groups, who say the election was neither free nor fair.
A spokesman for the main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from contesting, denounced the result as a “mockery of democracy.”
“We are calling for the intervention by a credible body to oversee another fresh election,” John Kitoka said.
In a speech from the administrative capital, Dodoma, after being certified as the winner, Hassan said the actions of the protesters were “neither responsible nor patriotic”.
“When it comes to the security of Tanzania, there is no debate – we must use all available security avenues to ensure the country remains safe,” she said.
Unrest and Crackdown
The election period was marred by days of unrest as protesters in major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Mwanza, took to the streets to denounce the exclusion of opposition candidates and the alleged harassment of their supporters.
Despite a heavy security deployment, the demonstrations quickly turned violent. Witnesses reported that protesters tore down banners bearing Hassan’s image and set government buildings ablaze, prompting police to fire tear gas and live rounds to disperse crowds.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks confirmed that access to social media platforms and mobile internet was restricted in several cities during and after the vote, in what activists described as an attempt to stifle information flow.
International response
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the situation in Tanzania, urging restraint and dialogue.
Guterres said he is “deeply concerned including reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations”, his spokesman said in a statement.
Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has been jailed for months, charged with treason after he called for electoral reforms that he said were a prerequisite for free and fair elections. He denies the charges. Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo group, was barred from running.
Rights groups allege Hassan oversaw a “wave of terror” in the country before the vote, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days. The government has rejected criticisms of its human rights record.
Hassan, who in 2021 was elevated from vice president on the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, faced 16 candidates from smaller parties.
