Samia vs Suluhu; Tanzania Dictator
Tanzanians are gearing up to cast their votes this Wednesday in an election where President Samia Suluhu Hassan is anticipated to secure a win, especially since candidates from the two main opposition parties have been barred from participating. Alongside the presidential election, voters will also select representatives for the country’s 400-seat parliament, as well as a president and lawmakers for the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
This presidential election will take place without the prominent opposition party, CHADEMA, whose leader, Tundu Lissu, is currently facing treason charges, which he firmly denies. The electoral commission disqualified CHADEMA back in April after the party declined to sign an electoral code of conduct.
The commission has also disqualified Luhaga Mpina, the candidate from the second largest opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo, following an objection raised by the Attorney General. This leaves only candidates from smaller parties to challenge Hassan.
Hassan’s party, CCM, which has its roots in the movement for mainland Tanzania’s independence back in the 1950s, has been a dominant force in national politics since it was established in 1977.
Amnesty International echoed the concerns of other rights organizations and opposition leaders last week, accusing the authorities of stifling dissent—a claim the government has firmly rejected.
According to the U.S. crisis-monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, CCM is determined to maintain its position as the “last hegemonic liberation party in southern Africa,” steering clear of the electoral challenges faced by its counterparts in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The election commission has stated that it will reveal the results within three days after the election day. Polling stations will open at 0400 GMT and close at 1300 GMT.
Hassan, whose campaign posters are everywhere in towns and villages, has been traveling across the country, which is home to about 68 million people.
She has highlighted her achievements in expanding road and railway networks and boosting power generation capacity. In her next term, she has pledged to focus on hiring more teachers.
Since taking office in 2021, Hassan has received praise for easing the repression of political opponents and reducing the censorship that was rampant under her predecessor, John Magufuli, who passed away while in office.
Samia vs Suluhu; Tanzania Dictator
