In brief
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a second term in Tanzania's presidential elections, winning by a landslide in a context marked by allegations of violence and electoral malpractice. Despite her claims of a free and democratic process, opposition parties have condemned the election as a sham, with reports indicating significant unrest and casualties across the nation. Global observers have raised concerns about the transparency of the elections as the government struggles to manage the fallout from violent protests following the results.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election, securing another term amid days of unrest across the country.
Samia won 98% of the votes in Wednesday's poll, the electoral commission said. In her Saturday victory speech, she described the election as 'free and democratic', accusing protesters of being 'unpatriotic'.
Opposition parties have rejected the results, labeling the vote a mockery of the democratic process as Samia's primary challengers were either imprisoned or barred from participating.
International observers have voiced concerns regarding the lack of transparency accompanying the elections, as widespread unrest reportedly left hundreds dead and many injuries reported.
A nationwide internet shutdown has hampered the verification of casualty figures.
The government has downplayed the scale of the violence, extending a curfew to alleviate the unrest.
Receiving her victory certificate on Saturday, Samia stated: 'We thank the security forces for ensuring that the violence did not stop voting.' She condemned the violent incidents, calling them unpatriotic.
Samia, who received around 31.9 million votes, or 97.66% of the total, reported a turnout of nearly 87% of the country’s 37.6 million registered voters.
The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar also held elections, and incumbent president Hussein Mwinyi won nearly 80% of the votes, though opposition claims indicated significant fraud.
Despite no reported protests on Saturday morning, tension remains high in Dar es Salaam, where security forces are deployed to control tensions stemming from Friday demonstrations where protesters destroyed Samia’s campaign materials and clashed with law enforcement.
Activists have decried what they call an oppressive pre-election environment, with reports of violence against opposition figures, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
On the international front, UN Chief Antonio Guterres urged for restraint, expressing deep concern over the violence ahead of the election.
President Samia, who took office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, now faces a skeptical public that reacted strongly against the perceived absence of genuine electoral competition.
