President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's disputed presidential election, winning nearly 98 percent of the vote in an election marred by unrest, opposition boycotts and allegations of fraud.
Announcing the results on Saturday morning, the country's elections chief Jacobs Mwambegele said Hassan, the candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, had won about 31.9 million votes, or 97.66 percent of the total, with a turnout of about 87 percent.
Also read: Tanzania imposes curfew in Dar es Salaam due to violence on election day
His victory, which extends the CCM's decades-long rule, came after prominent opposition figures were dropped from the race and demonstrations escalated in major cities. Protesters accused the government of silencing dissent and rigging the process.
In the semi-autonomous Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, CCM's Hussein Mwinyi was also declared the winner, taking nearly 80 percent of the vote. According to the Associated Press, opposition parties there rejected the result, calling it “massive fraud”.
The election led to several days of violent protests. Witnesses said protesters tore down government posters, blocked roads and clashed with police, with police responding with tear gas and live ammunition. Hospitals reported dozens of people injured, and the opposition party Chadema claimed around 700 people were killed – a figure impossible to verify due to the internet shutdown and restricted media access.
Also read: Tanzania: Hassan ready to win October 29 elections due to weak opposition
The UN human rights office said it had received credible reports of at least 10 deaths in the three cities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the situation, urging restraint and respect for human rights.
Authorities extended a nationwide curfew on Friday in an effort to quell the unrest. Government officials have downplayed the scale of violence, describing the protests as isolated incidents.
Also read: Voting begins in Tanzania, major opposition out of the race
Hassan, 65, has not yet made any public statement on the elections or the unrest. She assumed the presidency for the first time in 2021, following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli, and became Tanzania's first female head of state.
While the Election Commission described the election as free and fair, international observers raised concerns over transparency, the absence of prominent opposition figures, and voter intimidation. There is still tension on the roads and internet access is limited.
