Tanzania President Wins Election Landslide After Protests

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a landslide victory in an election that has left the country reeling from deadly unrest. Official results released on Saturday showed Hassan winning by a staggering 97.66 percent, dominating every constituency, according to the electoral commission broadcast on state television.

State TV also announced that a swift swearing-in ceremony would take place the same day, cementing her continued hold on power.

However, the election — marred by allegations of repression and exclusion — has plunged Tanzania into chaos. The main opposition party, Chadema, claims hundreds of people have been killed by security forces since demonstrations erupted on election day, Wednesday.

“Based on reports gathered from hospitals and clinics across the country, around 700 people have been killed,” a Chadema spokesperson told AFP on Friday. A security source and a diplomat in Dar es Salaam echoed similar estimates, confirming that fatalities were “in the hundreds.”

Hassan’s rise to the presidency followed the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021. Since then, she has faced deep resistance from within the ruling establishment, particularly from factions loyal to Magufuli. Analysts say her sweeping victory appears to be an effort to consolidate authority amid growing internal dissent.

Rights groups accuse Hassan’s government of orchestrating a “wave of terror” ahead of the polls, including a series of abductions and intimidation tactics that intensified in the days leading up to the vote.

Chadema, the main opposition movement, was barred from contesting, and its leader has been on trial for treason. Despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos as protesters flooded the streets, tearing down campaign posters, clashing with police, and attacking polling stations. The violence prompted an internet blackout and the imposition of a nationwide curfew.

Hassan has not publicly addressed the unrest. Her government denies allegations of “excessive force” but has maintained strict control over information, with news websites frozen since Wednesday and journalists prevented from reporting freely.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, including “reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations.”

Much of the public outrage has turned towards Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused of leading the violent crackdown. Although there were unverified claims that sections of the army sided with protesters, the military leadership reaffirmed its loyalty to Hassan. On Thursday, army chief Jacob Mkunda branded the demonstrators “criminals.”

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in an interview with Al Jazeera, denied knowledge of any casualties. “Currently, no excessive force has been used,” he insisted. “There’s no number until now of any protesters killed.”