Tanzania's Hassan declared landslide winner in election that triggered violent protests

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan Has Been Declared the Winner in a Disputed Election Amid Violent Protests

In a landslide victory, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country's disputed presidential election with over 97% of the vote, sparking violent protests across the nation. The electoral commission announced the result on Thursday, handing Hassan a five-year term to govern the East African country of over 68 million people.

The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has maintained its decades-long grip on power, with Hassan taking office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor. However, this landslide victory is unprecedented in the region and only rivalled by Rwanda's authoritarian leader Paul Kagame, who regularly wins by a significant margin.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns about enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings in Tanzania ahead of the polls. A United Nations panel of human rights experts cited over 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, describing the situation as "alarmed by reports of a pattern of repression" ahead of elections.

Protests erupted during Wednesday's vote for president and parliament, with demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings. Police responded with teargas and gunshots, according to witnesses. The protesters were angry about the electoral commission's exclusion of Hassan's two biggest challengers from the race and what they described as widespread repression.

The opposition party Chadema had called for a boycott of the election unless electoral systems were reformed, but was later disqualified from participating. The leader of ACT-Wazalendo, another opposition party, was also disqualifed, leaving Hassan to contest only lesser-known opponents from minor parties.

Government critics were also abducted and arrested in the run-up to the election. Tanzania's main opposition party reported that hundreds of people had been killed in the protests, while the UN human rights office said credible reports indicated at least 10 people were killed in three cities.

The government dismissed the opposition's death toll as "hugely exaggerated" and has rejected criticisms of its human rights record. The outcome of the election raises concerns about the legitimacy of the results and the future of democracy in Tanzania.

I don’t usually comment but... this is really worrying stuff . I mean, 97% of the vote? That's just crazy. It sounds like they rigged the whole thing. And what's with all these human rights groups speaking out against it? I feel bad for those people in Tanzania who are being persecuted and arrested just because they spoke out against the government.

And can we talk about how undemocratic this whole thing is? I mean, two of Hassan's biggest challengers were basically excluded from the election. That's not fair to the people who voted for them. And now they're saying that protests are violent and stuff? No wonder people are so angry . The government needs to listen to what the people want.

It's also really sad when you think about all those deaths during the protests. Like, 10 people killed in three cities is a lot. It's not just about democracy; it's about human lives. We need to be paying attention to this situation and hoping for better things to come .

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan won by a landslide but it's not all good vibes her opponents were unfairly excluded from the race and many people are still protesting I feel bad for those who lost their loved ones in the violence and I'm worried about the human rights situation in Tanzania it's like they're being silenced no one wants to speak out against the government

Ugh, this is just another example of a rigged election . I mean, come on, 97% of the vote? That's not even close to a fair election. And what's with all these disappearances and killings ahead of the polls? It's like they're trying to silence everyone who dares to speak out against the government. The fact that Amnesty International and the UN are raising concerns just confirms my suspicions . I'm guessing the government is going to brush this off and claim it's all part of their "stability" narrative, but let's be real, it's just more evidence of their authoritarian tendencies . And what about the opposition parties that got disqualified from participating? That's just a classic move to control the narrative and crush any dissenting voices . I'm not surprised by this outcome at all...

lol what even is going on in tanzania right now? like how can u win with 97% of the vote and still have ppl rioting , its all very confusing...and sad that its like this for the ppl who want change to be able to participate..anywayz, its not good to hear about forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings...something needs to get done ASAP

just saw this news and i'm still tryin to wrap my head around it tanzania's election was so ruff even if samia suluhu hassan won by a landslide, the opposition is still gonna be like "hold up, did we really just get robbed of our democracy?" and all these human rights issues? that's crazy. arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances? how are people supposed to trust the government now?

this is not good at all... 97% of the vote is insane, especially when you consider how many people were protesting and getting arrested. i mean, i get that the ccm party has held power for a long time, but does that give them the right to suppress dissent like this? also, it's concerning that human rights groups are raising alarms about enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests ahead of elections... shouldn't we be valuing free and fair elections over whoever is in charge?

I'm really disappointed in this news from Tanzania... Samia Suluhu Hassan winning by a landslide is one thing, but the way she did it is just shady . I mean, 97% of the vote? That's crazy! And to think that two of her biggest challengers were even excluded from the race because of some sort of technicality... it's like they wanted to rig the game from the start .

And then there are these protests and human rights abuses... hundreds of people killed, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances? It's just too much . I know that politics can be rough, but this is getting out of hand. The opposition party was right to call for reforms and boycotts, and it looks like they were silenced before the election even happened .

It's also worrying to see how the government is dismissing the death toll and human rights concerns... that just shows a lack of accountability . I hope that in the coming days, there are some real changes made to ensure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again . But until then, it's hard not to feel a little down about the state of democracy in Tanzania .

I'm totally bummed out by this news . In Tanzania, they're already super authoritarian, and now it's like, a landslide victory for the president? That doesn't exactly fill me with hope . I mean, have you seen all these protests and whatnot? It's crazy . The opposition parties got totally shut down, and people are getting arrested and stuff... it's just not right . And to make matters worse, the government is basically saying that all this drama is "exaggerated" . Like, no way, man . This whole thing just reeks of a total power grab . I'm keeping an eye on this situation for sure . Can't believe what's happening in Tanzania .

I'm really worried about what's happening in Tanzania right now . A landslide victory like that doesn't sit well with me, you know? I mean, 97% of the vote is a huge margin, but it's also a pretty scary one. And all these protests and human rights concerns... it makes you wonder if people are really being heard or if they're just being silenced .

I've lived long enough to see some pretty dark days in politics, but this feels different. It feels like the rule of law is being thrown out the window, and that's a scary place to be . I'm not naive, I know that elections can be close, but this one seems like it was rigged from the start.

And what really gets me is the way the government is responding to all these protests. The police using teargas and gunshots against peaceful protesters? That's just despicable . It's like they're more concerned with maintaining power than with listening to their people.

I'm not a politician, but I do know that democracy relies on free and fair elections. And when you see something like this happening in a country like Tanzania, it makes me wonder if we're losing sight of what really matters .

I'm not surprised that a landslide victory can lead to some, ahem, "enthusiastic" reactions . I mean, who doesn't love a good protest with plenty of torches and, you know, actual violence? It's like the old saying goes: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade... or in this case, throw rocks at the government buildings . I guess it's just another reminder that democracy is all about, well, being loud and stubborn . But hey, at least the opposition party got to have their 15 minutes of fame... before they were disqualified . And who needs electoral reform when you can just have a good ol' fashioned show trial?

I'm really worried about what's happening in Tanzania right now . This landslide victory for Samia Suluhu Hassan is definitely not reassuring, especially with all these reports of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings ahead of the polls. It sounds like things are getting pretty dire there.

I'm also thinking about how this reflects on the state of democracy in Tanzania. With over 97% of the vote, it's a huge gap between the winner and everyone else. I mean, what even is the point of having an opposition if they can't participate fairly? It's like their voices are being silenced.

The fact that protesters were met with teargas and gunshots just shows how out of control things have gotten. And those 200+ cases of enforced disappearance since 2019... it's just not right. I'm genuinely concerned about what this means for the future of Tanzania and its people .

Man, this is getting intense! 97% of the vote? That's wild, but also super concerning considering all the protests and violence that's been going on. I mean, who gets that kind of result without being accused of rigging the game? The fact that two major opposition parties got disqualified from running just adds to the whole "rigged election" vibe.

And can we talk about the human rights groups sounding the alarm on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings? That's some serious red flag stuff right there. 200+ cases of disappearance since 2019? It's no wonder people are taking to the streets, especially when you consider that hundreds of people were reportedly killed in the protests.

The government is basically saying "peace out" to concerns about human rights and democracy, which isn't exactly reassuring. I'm keeping a close eye on this situation, it's definitely not one to be taken lightly.