Protests Erupt Across Tanzania After Controversial Election

Tanzania has fallen into chaos as protests rage across the country following a highly controversial presidential election.

The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) took control of the Tanzanian government in 1961 after their independence and has maintained leadership of the democratic country since then. Tanzania is a multi-party democracy, meaning that they allow candidates from parties of different types to run for president, but the CCM has never lost an election.

Then, on Wednesday, this year's elections took place, and CCM candidate Samia Suluhu Hassan quickly announced their incredible victory– winning around 97% of Tanzania's total votes. However, the election came after both leaders of Tanzania's leading opposition parties were jailed, leaving unorganized parties with unconvincing candidates as the only ones left in the election, apart from the CCM.

Tundu Lissu, the leader of Chadema, an opposition party that challenged the CCM and its laws, was arrested in April on the charge of treason. He was placed in an area of the jail designated for prisoners facing the death penalty and claimed that he was not allowed to pray inside the jail, violating his basic human rights. For over two months, Lissu was denied access to his lawyers, and he has expressed his frustration over how slow the courts were with his due processes to bar him from running in the election.

Meanwhile, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party was disqualified for the second time in September, preventing him from running. Mpina was originally disqualified but was able to reverse the decision in court, allowing him to run. However, the court later reversed their decision and disqualified him from the election.

Now, protests have erupted across Tanzania, with citizens rioting against the biased election. According to AP, protestors burned a gas station and a bus and attacked police stations and poll centers. At least two people died in the demonstrations, one of which was a police officer.

Nevertheless, the government quickly responded. Police officers were equipped with tear gas and water cannons, firing onto protestors, and a curfew was announced in the major city of Dar es Salaam. Additionally, barriers were set up across major roadways but protests continued.

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