President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania’s presidential election, securing another term in office amid days of protest, burning of government building and taking down of all posters of the ruling party candidate a cross the country.
The electoral commission announced that president Samia Saluhu Hassan has won 98% of the votes, nearly sweeping the 32 million ballots cast in Wednesday’s election.
During the election, international observers have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and widespread turmoil that has reportedly left hundreds people dead and hundreds injured.
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The Tanzanian state media reported that the president’s swearing-in ceremony would take place later on today.
The election for president and parliament set off days of violent protests as demonstrators took to the streets of major cities to protest against the barring or prevention of Hassan’s main rivals from running and what they described as widespread repression.
A witness report has confirmed that despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos, with some demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings, and police firing tear gas and gunshots.
Chadema, the main opposition force which was barred from taking part in the election, told the AFP news agency on Friday that “about 700” people had been killed, based on figures gathered from a network checking hospitals and health clinics.
Meanwhile, the UN human rights office said credible reports indicated at least 10 people were killed in three cities.
Aljazeera media network has reported the country’s foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo as saying on Friday that the authorities have acted appropriately and the election was conducted fairly.
President Samia Hassan, who in 2021 was elevated from vice president on the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, faced 16 candidates from smaller parties.
Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has been jailed for months, charged with treason after he called for electoral reforms that he said were a prerequisite for free and fair elections, though he denies the charges.
Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo group, was barred from running.