Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan emerged as the clear victor in an election that sparked violent demonstrations nationwide due to the exclusion of her primary rivals. The country’s electoral commission announced that Hassan secured over 31.9 million votes, representing 97.66% of the total ballots cast, securing her a five-year tenure.
Protests flared up during the presidential and parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with protestors vandalizing Hassan’s posters, setting ablaze government buildings, and clashes with security forces deploying tear gas and gunfire, according to eyewitnesses. Demonstrators expressed outrage over the exclusion of Hassan’s top challengers from the electoral race and alleged widespread arrests and abductions of opposition figures.
In a statement delivered from Dodoma, the capital, following her official confirmation as the winner, President Hassan condemned the protesters’ actions as irresponsible and unpatriotic. She emphasized the paramount importance of Tanzania’s security, asserting the necessity of utilizing all security measures to safeguard the nation.
The leading opposition party in Tanzania, Chadema, which was disqualified from the election for refusing to adhere to a code of conduct and witnessed its leader arrested for treason earlier in the year, reported that hundreds of individuals lost their lives during the protests. The United Nations human rights office corroborated reports suggesting at least 10 fatalities in three cities.
The government refuted the opposition’s death toll as greatly exaggerated and dismissed criticisms of its human rights track record. The accuracy of the casualty figures could not be independently verified by Reuters. In response to the unrest, authorities imposed a national curfew and internet restrictions since Wednesday. The turmoil disrupted international flights and operations at Dar es Salaam’s vital port on the Indian Ocean coast, impacting fuel imports and metal exports.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a thorough investigation into allegations of excessive force use and lamented the loss of lives in a statement issued through his spokesperson. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo denied claims of excessive force by security services, attributing the disturbances to isolated criminal incidents.
The electoral commission reported an approximately 87% voter turnout among the country’s 37.6 million registered voters. Critics questioned the high turnout figures, contrasting them with the previous election where John Magufuli secured re-election with significantly fewer votes and a lower turnout. Witnesses observed low turnout on election day, attributing disruptions to the protests.
President Hassan, who succeeded Magufuli in 2021 and initially earned acclaim for easing government restrictions, has faced mounting criticism from opposition groups and activists following a series of arrests and alleged abductions of dissenters. Despite ordering an investigation into reported abductions last year, no official findings have been disclosed. Throughout her campaign, she highlighted achievements in infrastructure development, including expanding transportation networks and enhancing power generation capacity.