Samia Suluhu Hassan Wins Tanzania Election in Unopposed Contest
Samia Suluhu Hassan Wins Tanzania Election in Unopposed Contest – Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country’s highly disputed election, securing more than 97% of the vote, despite widespread violence and allegations of repression.
The victory, announced by the Tanzania Electoral Commission, extends Hassan’s rule for another five years, solidifying the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party’s decades-long hold on power.
However, the results have sparked outrage across the nation, with opposition groups calling the process undemocratic.
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Protests broke out in several cities during Wednesday’s polls, with angry demonstrators tearing down campaign banners and setting fire to government buildings.
Witnesses reported that police responded with gunfire and teargas, leaving multiple people dead. The UN Human Rights Office confirmed at least 10 deaths, though the opposition claims the toll could be in the hundreds.
Critics accuse the government of systematically silencing its opponents.
Ahead of the election, Tundu Lissu, vice-chair of the main opposition party Chadema, was arrested and charged with treason and cybercrime.
His party was later barred from participating after demanding electoral reforms. Another opposition leader, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was also disqualified, leaving Hassan to face only little-known challengers.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned what they describe as a climate of fear marked by enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings.
A UN panel earlier this year reported over 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, citing a “pattern of repression” in Tanzania’s political landscape.
Despite criticism, the government has dismissed claims of abuse and inflated death tolls, maintaining that the elections were free and fair.
Hassan, who first assumed office in 2021 following the death of former president John Magufuli, now faces the challenge of restoring public trust and addressing growing demands for democratic reform.
