Tanzania's President Declared Landslide Winner Amid Violent Protests
A contentious election in Tanzania has resulted in a landslide victory for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who now faces five more years of governance as the country grapples with widespread human rights abuses and violent protests.
The electoral commission announced that Hassan secured over 97% of the vote, marking an unprecedentedly large margin. However, this victory came at a high cost, with reports emerging of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the lead-up to the polls.
Rights groups have expressed alarm about the repressive tactics employed by the government, which they say were designed to silence opposition voices. Amnesty International has specifically cited cases of enforced disappearance, including more than 200 since 2019, as evidence of a "pattern of repression" ahead of the election.
Protesters took to the streets on voting day, with demonstrations turning violent as some demonstrators vandalized government property and police responded with teargas and gunfire. The protests were sparked by concerns over electoral irregularities and the exclusion of Hassan's two main challengers from the race.
In the run-up to the election, opposition figures faced intimidation and repression, with critics being abducted and arrested. The government has maintained its stance that these allegations are "hugely exaggerated".
As a result of her landslide victory, Hassan now has a five-year term to govern Tanzania, a country with over 68 million people. However, her reign is likely to be marked by ongoing tensions between the ruling party and opposition forces.
The international community has expressed concern about the human rights situation in Tanzania ahead of the election, with some warning that the government's actions could lead to further destabilization.
A contentious election in Tanzania has resulted in a landslide victory for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who now faces five more years of governance as the country grapples with widespread human rights abuses and violent protests.
The electoral commission announced that Hassan secured over 97% of the vote, marking an unprecedentedly large margin. However, this victory came at a high cost, with reports emerging of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the lead-up to the polls.
Rights groups have expressed alarm about the repressive tactics employed by the government, which they say were designed to silence opposition voices. Amnesty International has specifically cited cases of enforced disappearance, including more than 200 since 2019, as evidence of a "pattern of repression" ahead of the election.
Protesters took to the streets on voting day, with demonstrations turning violent as some demonstrators vandalized government property and police responded with teargas and gunfire. The protests were sparked by concerns over electoral irregularities and the exclusion of Hassan's two main challengers from the race.
In the run-up to the election, opposition figures faced intimidation and repression, with critics being abducted and arrested. The government has maintained its stance that these allegations are "hugely exaggerated".
As a result of her landslide victory, Hassan now has a five-year term to govern Tanzania, a country with over 68 million people. However, her reign is likely to be marked by ongoing tensions between the ruling party and opposition forces.
The international community has expressed concern about the human rights situation in Tanzania ahead of the election, with some warning that the government's actions could lead to further destabilization.
. I mean, 97% of the vote? That's like a landslide, no question 
. But at what cost? All these human rights abuses and enforced disappearances are really scary stuff 
. It's like the government was trying to silence opposition voices or something 
. And now this woman has a five-year term to govern... it's gonna be interesting to see how that plays out 
. I hope the international community is keeping an eye on things, 'cause if there are allegations of repression and intimidation, someone needs to speak up 
. This whole thing feels like it was a bit too scripted for comfort 
.
meanwhile there are people being arrested and disappeared like what is going on in Tanzania?? 
it seems like Samia Suluhu Hassan's win just made things worse instead of better she got 97% of the vote but at what cost? 
my heart goes out to all those protesters who took to the streets, I can imagine how scary and overwhelming that must have been for them 
. 97% is insane and I'm not surprised the opposition was shut down 
. It's just a never-ending cycle of power struggles and corruption. The international community needs to step in here, it's getting embarrassing 
. Tanzania deserves better than this 
.
My heart goes out to those innocent people caught up in this chaos! 97% is just crazy, like is anyone else even voting for someone else? 
. Just not good vibes for Tanzania right now 
. Don't get me wrong, 97% is still crazy high, but you can tell there was some voter suppression going on 
. You can read more about it here: 
. I mean, who needs peaceful protests when you can vandalize government property and get a good media soundbite? 
The international community is just overreacting as usual 
. It's not like that's a red flag at all...
meanwhile there are these reports of people being disappeared and killed for speaking out against the gov't 
i mean 97% of the vote is insane but it came with a price - arbitrary arrests, forced dissappearances, and killings? 
five more years of samia in power sounds like a recipe for disaster... international community needs to keep an eye on this situation