Opposition silenced as Tanzania’s President claims near-total victory

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won a commanding 97% of the vote in a disputed national election, deepening fears of growing authoritarianism and one-party dominance in the East African nation.

The October 29 poll was marred by violence and widespread intimidation. Hassan’s two main rivals were either jailed or disqualified, leaving her to face 16 minor challengers. Opposition groups and rights activists described the vote as a “coronation,” not a competition.

Security forces clashed with demonstrators across major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Morogoro, after citizens protested the results and alleged electoral fraud.

The U.N. human rights office reported at least 10 deaths, while foreign ministers of the U.K., Canada, and Norway jointly condemned “credible reports of a large number of fatalities and significant injuries resulting from the security response.”

Authorities have postponed the reopening of universities and imposed curfews in several regions. Dar es Salaam remained under tight military patrols on Saturday, with soldiers manning roadblocks and demanding identification from residents.

Tundu Lissu, leader of the Chadema opposition party, has been imprisoned on treason charges since calling for electoral reforms earlier this year.

Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was barred from contesting the election. Rights organizations have accused Hassan’s government of crushing dissent ahead of the vote through arrests, disappearances and media censorship.

“The government has severely curtailed freedom of expression,” the International Crisis Group said, citing restrictions on social media platform X and the shutdown of JamiiForums, a popular online discussion hub. Amnesty International and U.N. experts have documented hundreds of enforced disappearances since 2019, warning of a “pattern of repression.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all sides to prevent further escalation and called for respect for human rights.

Hassan’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, in power since independence in 1961, now extends its six-decade dominance.

President Hassan came to power following the sudden death of her predecessor, President John Pombe Magufuli, in March 2021.

At the time, she was Vice President, a position she had held since 2015, serving under Magufuli. When Magufuli died midway through his second term, the Tanzanian constitution mandated that the vice president assume the presidency for the remainder of the term.

She became Tanzania’s first female president.