By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared winner of last Wednesday’s presidential election after polling 97.66 per cent of the votes, dominating every constituency, the electoral commission announced on state television Saturday.
Her landslide victory came after key opposition candidates were jailed or disqualified from the election that has triggered days of violent protests.
According to state-run TV, a quick swearing-in ceremony would take place on Saturday.
Heritage Times HT had reported on Friday that the main opposition party, CHADEMA alleged that hundreds of people have been killed in post-election violence that broke out same day of the poll.
Hassan, formerly the Vice President took office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
Rights groups say she oversaw a “wave of terror” in the East African nation ahead of the vote, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days.
CHADEMA was barred from taking part in the election and its leader, Tundu Lissu was put in jail over treason charges.
A Chadema spokesman told AFP on Friday that “around 700” people had been killed, based on figures gathered from a network checking hospitals and health clinics.
Her government denies using “excessive force” but has blocked the internet and imposed a tight lockdown and curfew nationwide, making it hard to get any information.
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, “including reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations”, his spokesman said in a statement.
