The Tanzanian Electoral Commission announced on Saturday morning that Samia Suluhu Hassan won the presidential election with 97.66% of the votes.
These results allow Samia, who came to power in 2021 after the death of John Pombe Magufuli, to continue leading Tanzania for the next five years. Tanzania has a population of over 68 million people.
The Electoral Commission reported that Samia received over 31.9 million votes, representing 97.66% of all voters. Voter turnout was 87%, while 37.6 million people were registered to vote.
The elections were followed by unrest in the country, mainly by youth, who claimed that the process was not transparent, as opposition candidates were not allowed to run.
Protesters began removing Samia’s posters and banners and set fire to government buildings and other infrastructure.
Security forces did their best to contain the protests and urged citizens to stay home to prevent further escalation.
Tanzania’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, stated on Friday that the post-election protests were not as severe as reported. He acknowledged that there were isolated incidents involving what he called “criminal elements” and denied reports that security forces used excessive force against protesters.
