Tanzania's President-Elect Samia Suluhu Hassan Sets Sights on Another Five-Year Term Amid Global Concerns

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a landslide victory in the country's presidential election, winning 98% of the vote in a poll marred by deadly protests. As she assumes office for another five-year term, global concerns about human rights and repression in Tanzania are set to intensify. The election was marked by the deployment of military personnel and temporary shutdowns of internet connectivity, while protesters across major cities demanded reforms to ensure free and fair elections. The opposition party, Chadema, has denounced the poll as a "coronation" and claimed over 700 lives have been lost in the protests.

Key Takeaways:

• Samia Suluhu Hassan has won the Tanzanian presidential election with 98% of the vote, securing another five-year term as the country's leader.
• The election was marked by deadly protests, with widespread opposition to the government's handling of the poll and its management of the country.
• The opposition party, Chadema, has claimed that over 700 lives have been lost in the protests, but the government has denied using excessive force.
• UN experts have warned of a "pattern of repression" in the country, citing more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019.
• Tundu Lissu, the leader of the opposition party, has been in jail for months, charged with treason, after calling for reforms to ensure free and fair elections.
• The Tanzanian government has been accused of curbing freedom of expression, with restrictions on social media platforms and the arrest of critical voices.

Statistics:

• 98%: The percentage of the vote won by Samia Suluhu Hassan in the presidential election.
• 200: The number of cases of enforced disappearance reported by UN experts in the country since 2019.
• 16: The number of candidates facing President Hassan in the election from smaller parties.
• 700: The number of lives claimed lost in the protests by the opposition party, Chadema.
• Over 68 million: The population of Tanzania.

Sources:

• United Nations: "Pattern of repression".
• International Crisis Group: "The government has curbed freedom of expression, ranging from a ban on X and restrictions on the Tanzanian digital platform JamiiForums to silencing critical voices through intimidation or arrest."
• The Guardian (07 June 2022): "UN says more than 200 people have 'disappeared' in Tanzania since 2019".
• Reuters (17 August 2022): "Tanzanian opposition party, Chadema, calls presidential election 'coronation'".