Tanzania’s electoral commission has finally declared Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner of the country’s controversial presidential election, by securing a second term in office with nearly 98 percent of the votes cast.
President Hassan’s main challengers were either clamped in jail or disqualified, prompting opposition groups to accuse the government of undermining democracy.
The election has been overshadowed by violent protests since Wednesday. The opposition say hundreds of people have been killed by security forces and foreign diplomats say there’s credible evidence to support that claim.
Tanzanians on social media have rechristened President Samia Suluhu Hassan “Idi Amin Mama” after former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada, as election violence claims hundreds of lives.
The government has yet to confirm any casualties.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has been in power for more than six decades.
