Dodoma, Tanzania – Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a second term as President of Tanzania wiht an overwhelming majority, official results announced today show. Hassan won more than 97% of the vote in an election marred by accusations of repression and a crackdown on political opposition, continuing the decades-long dominance of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
The landslide victory mirrors patterns seen elsewhere in the region, where genuine electoral competition is rare. Victory is uncommon in East Africa; only President Paul Kagame of Rwanda regularly wins by similar margins. However, rights groups including Amnesty International documented a disturbing trend of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings in Tanzania leading up to the polls.
A United Nations panel of human rights experts reported over 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, expressing alarm over “a pattern of repression” ahead of the election. The International Crisis group noted Hassan oversaw “an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” including restrictions on freedom of expression – a ban on X (formerly Twitter) and limitations on the Tanzanian digital platform JamiiForums – and the intimidation or arrest of critical voices.
Despite a move towards multi-party politics in 1992, Tanzania has largely maintained single-party rule under the CCM, which has governed since the country’s independence from Britain in 1961. Critics contrast Hassan’s increasingly authoritarian style with that of previous leaders who, while maintaining control, allowed for a degree of opposition.
The CCM is deeply intertwined with the Tanzanian state, controlling the security apparatus and facilitating leadership transitions within the party. Hassan herself ascended to the presidency without disruption following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, during his second term. This orderly transition reinforced Tanzania’s reputation for political stability and peace, contributing to the CCM’s strong support, particularly in rural areas.
