Opposition supporters (file photo).
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ALL AFRICA.COM | Tanzania’s general elections triggered widespread protests in key cities including Dar es Salaam and Arusha as citizens demonstrated for the first time in 65 years. The absence of credible opposition candidates and the arrest of prominent opposition leader Tundu Lissu sparked the action as thousands of protesters took to the streets in defiance of a nationwide 6pm to 6am curfew imposed by authorities.
Barricades were erected, polling stations vandalized and burned, and clashes with police marked a historic display of dissent during what is considered a tightly controlled electoral process dominated by incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
Police reportedly used tear gas against protesters who responded by throwing stones and chanting slogans demanding democratic rights. Despite the security clampdown, demonstrations continued overnight across multiple urban centers. To further restrict information flow, authorities ordered a nationwide internet blackout, disrupting the digital connection of millions of Tanzanians and hindering real-time reporting of election day events.
The election was widely criticized as a sham, with major opposition parties like Chadema banned from participating after they refused to endorse the government’s electoral code of conduct without reforms. The main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, detained since April on treason charges linked to his calls for election reforms, was unable to contest, leaving President Suluhu Hassan virtually unchallenged on the ballot. Arrests of other opposition officials, arrests over alleged dissent, and tightening repression were reported in the lead-up to the vote, while observers lambasted the lack of genuine competition and the suppression of political freedoms.
Ugandan activist, leder of the National Unity Platform political party and former MP Bobi Wine tweeted: “Standing in solidarity with the great people of Tanzania who are defying odds to protest against electoral injustice and impunity! Standing in solidarity with comrade Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader who remains detained since April and his party CHADEMA banned from running in the sham election! The young people of Africa are speaking – let all despots listen.”
As protests escalated, the Tanzanian government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Dar es Salaam and deployed military vehicles throughout the city to curb the unrest.
In response to the turmoil, government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa announced that public servants in Dar es Salaam were instructed to work from home, with only essential workers required to be physically present at their offices. Political solidarity messages poured in from regional voices like Ugandan MP Bobi Wine, who condemned the repression and called for support of Tanzanians fighting against electoral injustice and impunity.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who came to office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, campaigned on infrastructure development and economic progress, but widespread accusations of electoral manipulation and authoritarianism have overshadowed her prospects for a second term. The unrest on October 29 signified a profound challenge to the ruling party’s decades-long hold on power and revealed the deep frustrations among younger Tanzanians demanding political reform and fairness.
*****
SOURCE: ALL AFRICA.COM
