In brief
In an election marked by unrest, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner with an overwhelming 98% of the votes. The political climate has been charged with protests following allegations of electoral fraud and a nationwide internet blackout, prompting a severe response from security forces. International observers have raised concerns regarding the transparency of the electoral process amidst claims of excessive violence and government repression.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election, securing another term in office amid days of unrest across the country.
According to the electoral commission, Samia won 98% of the votes, nearly sweeping the 32 million ballots cast in Wednesday's election.
International observers have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and widespread turmoil that has reportedly left hundreds of people dead and hundreds injured.
The nationwide internet shutdown is making it difficult to verify the death toll. The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence - and authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the unrest.
I hereby announce Samia Suluhu Hassan as the winner of the presidential election under the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, Jacobs Mwambegele, the electoral chief, said while announcing the results.
In Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar - which elects its own government and leader - CCM's Hussein Mwinyi, the incumbent president, won with nearly 80% of the vote, though the opposition there claimed massive fraud.
Protests continued on Friday, as demonstrators in the port city of Dar es Salaam and other cities took to the streets, tearing down Samia's posters and attacking police and polling stations. Young protesters are largely leading the demonstrations, denouncing the election as unfair.
They accuse the government of undermining democracy by suppressing opposition leaders; one is in jail, and another was excluded on technical grounds.
Regarding the fatalities, a spokesperson from the opposition Chadema party mentioned around 700 deaths in clashes, while a diplomatic source indicated credible evidence supporting at least 500 fatalities.
Foreign Minister Mahmoud Kombo Thabit characterized the violence as isolated incidents and maintained that security forces acted decisively.
In addition to Samia Suluhu Hassan, two main opposition candidates faced barriers during the election. Tundu Lissu is incarcerated on treason charges, which he disputes, while Luhaga Mpina from the ACT-Wazalendo party was excluded on legal grounds. Sixteen lesser-known parties without a significant public following were allowed to compete.
Samia's ruling party, CCM, has dominated Tanzanian politics, never losing an election since independence. Ahead of elections, rights groups reported on extensive government repression, with Amnesty International highlighting violations including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures. The government refuted these allegations, asserting the election would be fair.
Samia entered office as Tanzania's first female president in 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli.
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