Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won a landslide election victory, securing 97.66 per cent of the vote, the national electoral commission announced on state television on Saturday, AFP reported. The result comes after days of violent protests, opposition arrests, and an internet shutdown across the East African nation.A quick swearing-in ceremony was expected later on Saturday, according to state media.
Protests and heavy crackdown
The main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from contesting, said that hundreds of people have been killed by security forces since protests began on election day on Wednesday. A party spokesman told AFP that “around 700” people had been killed, citing data gathered from hospitals and clinics.A security source and a diplomat in Dar es Salaam also told the agency that the death toll was in the hundreds. However, the government has denied using excessive force and has not provided any casualty figures.Foreign minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera, “Currently, no excessive force has been used. There’s no number until now of any protesters killed.”Despite the government’s denials, rights groups accused Hassan’s administration of overseeing a “wave of terror” in the run-up to the vote, with reports of abductions and intimidation of political opponents.
Opposition leaders jailed, internet shut down
Chadema’s leader remains on trial for treason, and the party was prevented from participating in the election. Widespread protests erupted on election day, with demonstrators tearing down campaign posters, clashing with police, and vandalising polling stations.Authorities imposed a curfew and nationwide internet blackout, making independent verification of events nearly impossible. Journalists have also been barred from freely reporting, and many news websites have not been updated since Wednesday.
UN expresses concern
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, including reports of deaths and injuries during demonstrations.Much of the public anger has reportedly been directed at Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused of leading the crackdown. The army chief, Jacob Mkunda, declared his loyalty to the president, labelling protesters “criminals.”
Hassan consolidates control
Hassan, who became president in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli, has faced internal resistance from parts of the army and Magufuli’s loyalists. Analysts told the news agency that her decisive electoral victory appears aimed at consolidating power within her ruling establishment.The president has not yet made any public statement since the unrest began.
