Accra: Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the outright winner of the presidential election by the electoral commission on Saturday. The commission announced on state television that she had secured 97.66% of the vote, marking a significant victory.
According to Ghana News Agency, the election was marred by violent protests in the country, which has long been viewed as a stable region in East Africa. The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) reported credible accounts indicating that at least 10 demonstrators were killed as security forces employed firearms and tear gas to disperse them. The opposition claims that hundreds were killed, but no verifiable details on casualties have emerged.
Internet services have been unavailable since unrest began on Wednesday, with phone services severely restricted. Protests erupted in response to the exclusion of the two main opposition candidates from the election, leading to thousands marching on the State House in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
Observers believe that Hassan’s CCM party will maintain its parliamentary majority, continuing its rule since the country’s independence over 60 years ago. Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 after the death of former president John Magufuli, initially promised political openness but is seen as having reversed course.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Tanzanian security forces of detaining opposition figures, engaging in censorship, and using intimidation. Chadema, the largest opposition party, was excluded from the election, with its leader Tundu Lissu facing charges of incitement and treason.
Hassan now embarks on a new five-year term in a nation with approximately 70 million residents.