Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been declared the winner of the country’s disputed general election with more than 97 per cent of the vote, following a week marked by violent protests and allegations of repression.
The result, announced by the national electoral commission, grants Ms Hassan a five‑year mandate to govern the east African nation of 68 million people. She first assumed office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, in power since independence, faced growing pressure from opposition movements that had sought to challenge its decades‑long dominance. However, the scale of Ms Hassan’s victory has raised questions both domestically and abroad. Landslide results of this magnitude are rare in the region, with only Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, regularly securing such margins.
Rights organisations, including Amnesty International, had warned in advance of the vote of a climate of intimidation. They cited enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings. In June, a United Nations panel of human rights experts reported more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, expressing alarm at what it described as a “pattern of repression” in the lead‑up to the polls.
Protests erupted across several cities during Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary vote. Witnesses reported demonstrators tearing down campaign banners, setting fire to government buildings and clashing with security forces. Police responded with teargas and live ammunition, according to accounts from those present.
Much of the anger centred on the exclusion of Ms Hassan’s two principal challengers from the ballot. In April, Tundu Lissu, vice‑chair of the main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested and charged with treason and cybercrime offences. His party, which had demanded electoral reforms as a condition for participation, was subsequently barred from contesting. Last month, Luhaga Mpina, leader of the ACT‑Wazalendo party, was also disqualified, leaving only minor candidates to oppose the incumbent.
Reports of abductions and arrests of government critics further fuelled discontent. Opposition leaders accused the authorities of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation to secure victory for CCM.
On Friday, Chadema claimed that hundreds of people had been killed in the unrest. The United Nations human rights office, while not confirming that figure, said it had received credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities. The government dismissed the opposition’s claims as “hugely exaggerated” and rejected international criticism of its human rights record.
The disputed election result is likely to intensify scrutiny of Tanzania’s political trajectory. While Ms Hassan has presented herself as a reformer since taking office, critics argue that the exclusion of major opposition parties and the heavy‑handed response to dissent undermine her claims of democratic progress.
For CCM, the outcome consolidates its hold on power but risks deepening divisions within the country. For the opposition, the disqualification of its leaders and the violence surrounding the vote represent a significant setback in efforts to challenge the ruling party’s dominance.
As Tanzania enters a new political chapter, questions remain over whether the government will seek to ease tensions through dialogue and reform, or whether the cycle of repression and protest will continue.
