President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election, securing another term in office amidst 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 has reportedly left hundreds dead and injured. A nationwide internet shutdown is complicating the verification of the death toll, while the government downplays the violence and has extended a curfew to quell the unrest.
I hereby announce Samia Suluhu Hassan as the winner of the presidential election under the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, said Jacobs Mwambegele, the electoral chief.
In Zanzibar, which elects its own government, CCM's Hussein Mwinyi won nearly 80% of the vote. However, the opposition has claimed massive fraud, according to reports.
Protests continued in cities such as Dar es Salaam as demonstrators tore down Samia's campaign posters and confronted police and polling stations, despite army warnings to cease the unrest. Many protests are led by younger citizens who denounce the election's fairness claim.
Opposition leaders who faced exclusion from the election include Tundu Lissu—currently imprisoned on treason charges—and Luhaga Mpina, who was disqualified over legal technicalities. Meanwhile, the ruling CCM has traditionally dominated Tanzanian politics.
Rights groups have condemned the government's tactics leading up to the election, citing a wave of terror that includes enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures. Despite these claims, the government maintains that the election would be free and fair.
Samia Suluhu Hassan first assumed presidency in 2021, becoming Tanzania's first female leader after the passing of John Magufuli.
