Tanzania’s Hassan Poised to Retain Presidency in Election Marred by Opposition Ban and Protests
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to secure a new term in office following Wednesday’s contentious general election, which was marred by violent protests, internet shutdowns, and the disqualification of her main political opponents. The election, which saw low voter turnout in many areas, represents a critical test for Tanzania’s democratic institutions and has drawn international scrutiny over the narrowing of political space in the East African nation.
Violent demonstrations erupted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, as voters went to the polls, prompting police to impose a curfew in response to escalating tensions. The unrest occurred against the backdrop of what human rights organizations describe as rapidly intensifying repression and the systematic exclusion of viable opposition candidates from the presidential contest, making this one of the least competitive Tanzania elections in decades.
Election Day Unrest and Digital Blackout
Wednesday’s voting was disrupted by significant civil unrest, particularly in Dar es Salaam, where protesters clashed with security forces amid growing frustration over the political landscape. Social media videos circulated showing demonstrators throwing rocks at police and a petrol station burning, though the authenticity and context of these videos were difficult to verify independently due to government-imposed internet restrictions.
“Live network data show a nationwide disruption … corroborating reports of a digital blackout,” NetBlocks, the global internet monitor, posted on X as voting commenced, highlighting the government’s efforts to control information flow during the contentious Tanzania elections.
The internet shutdown represented a significant reversal from Hassan’s earlier reforms, which had included restoring some digital freedoms that had been curtailed under her predecessor, John Magufuli. The blackout hampered independent observation of the electoral process and limited the ability of opposition groups to coordinate and document potential irregularities.
Despite the tensions, Hassan presented a calm demeanor when speaking to reporters after casting her ballot in the administrative capital Dodoma. “I urge all Tanzanians, those who are still at home, to come out and exercise their right and vote and choose their preferred leaders,” she stated, even as reports indicated notably low turnout at many polling stations throughout the day.
The election encompassed separate votes for the president, members of parliament, and local politicians, with more than 37 million people eligible to participate. Voters in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago also selected their own president and lawmakers in parallel elections that have historically been contentious. For comprehensive coverage of African political developments, follow our Africanews Desk for regular updates.
The Political Landscape: A Constrained Democracy
Analysts had predicted that Wednesday’s Tanzania elections would be characterized by voter apathy and potential unrest due to the effective elimination of meaningful political competition. The two main opposition parties – Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo – saw their presidential candidates disqualified from the race, leaving Hassan’s CCM party facing only minor challengers with limited name recognition and resources.
“The political landscape going into the election remains sharply polarised, with opposition leaders facing legal harassment and civic space that has been constrained,” said Nicodemus Minde, a researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, during a pre-election seminar. He noted that the absence of major opposition parties had made this election “arguably the least competitive” since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992.
The CCM and its predecessor TANU have ruled Tanzania continuously since independence in 1961, making it one of Africa’s longest-ruling political parties. Hassan, who initially took office following Magufuli’s death in 2021, had begun her tenure by reversing some of her predecessor’s most authoritarian policies, including lifting a ban on political rallies and making reconciliatory gestures toward the opposition.
However, these early reforms gave way to what human rights organizations describe as a grim return to repression. “Tanzania will never be the same after this election,” said Deus Valentine, the chief executive of the Center for Strategic Litigation, a Tanzania-based nonprofit organization. “We are either entering a completely new paradigm or level of impunity, or we are entering a completely new level of civil defiance. Something is going to give.”
The United Nations has expressed serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tanzania. In June, after the reported disappearance and torture of two activists – Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda – UN experts called on the Tanzanian government to “immediately stop the enforced disappearance of political opponents, human rights defenders and journalists.” The experts noted that more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance had been recorded in Tanzania since 2019.
Hassan said last year she had ordered an investigation into reports of abductions, though no official findings have been made public, creating skepticism about the government’s commitment to addressing these serious human rights concerns.
Among the candidates permitted to run against the CCM was Salum Mwalimu, a running mate of opposition figure Tundu Lissu during the 2020 presidential election. Mwalimu, representing the Chaumma party which includes many Chadema defectors, campaigned on promises of constitutional reform and systemic government changes. “Tanzanians should expect great change from our party, which is committed to transforming the country,” he declared when collecting his presidential nomination forms in August.
However, political observers noted that Mwalimu and other approved opposition candidates lacked the resources and nationwide recognition to mount a serious challenge to the CCM’s well-established political machinery, which has benefited from decades of incumbency to entrench its rule across the country.
Hassan’s campaign emphasized economic achievements and development promises, pointing to Tanzania’s economic growth and low inflation under her leadership. She pledged to strengthen healthcare and education systems while promoting economic empowerment programs. “In our current and forthcoming manifestos, we are focusing on the people,” she told supporters at a campaign rally in Temeke district last week. “Our goal is to make sure that every Tanzanian has a chance to participate meaningfully in the nation’s economic growth.”
“After voting in the administrative capital Dodoma, Hassan told reporters: ‘I urge all Tanzanians, those who are still at home, to come out and exercise their right and vote and choose their preferred leaders,'” Reuters reported, capturing the president’s public messaging on election day despite the constrained political environment.
The 2025 Tanzania elections represent a pivotal moment for the country’s democratic trajectory. The exclusion of major opposition voices, combined with reports of human rights abuses and the election day internet shutdown, has raised fundamental questions about the health of Tanzania’s political system. As the CCM prepares to extend its 64-year rule, the international community and Tanzanian civil society will be watching closely to see how the government addresses these democratic deficits in the coming years.
Official results are expected within three days, though Hassan’s victory is widely anticipated given the absence of credible challengers. The ultimate significance of these Tanzania elections may lie less in the outcome and more in what they reveal about the state of democratic governance in one of East Africa’s most important nations. Further details on the election results and their implications can be found through reputable sources like Reuters.
