Tanzania's electoral commission announced on Monday that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had won nearly 98 percent of the vote in presidential and parliamentary elections that were marred by violent protests across the country, Reuters reported.
The results give Hassan, who took power in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, a five-year term to govern the East African country of 68 million people, BTA reports.
The protests erupted on election day on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting that protesters began tearing down Hassan's posters and setting fire to government buildings, while police responded with tear gas and gunshots.
The protesters are angry that the electoral commission has disqualified Hassan's two main rivals from the race, as well as what they say is a widespread government crackdown.
Tanzania's main opposition party said yesterday that hundreds of people had been killed during the protests, and the UN human rights office said it had credible reports that at least 10 people had been killed in three cities across the country.
The government has dismissed opposition reports of the death toll as "grossly exaggerated" and rejected criticism that it did not respect human rights.
Reuters noted that it could not independently confirm the death toll.
The electoral commission said Hassan had received more than 31.9 million votes, or 97.66 percent of the total, with voter turnout reaching nearly 87 percent.
However, according to witnesses, voter turnout on election day was low, with some polling stations blocked by protests.
Tanzanian authorities have imposed a nationwide curfew for the past three days and restricted access to the internet.
Foreign Minister Mahmud Thabit Kombo yesterday denied allegations that security forces had used excessive force, saying there had been only "very few isolated incidents" caused by criminal elements.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday called for a “thorough and impartial investigation into all allegations of excessive use of force” and expressed regret for the loss of life.
Hassan, 65, has won praise since taking over as president in 2021 from her predecessor John Magufuli for easing a crackdown that had intensified during his term, but has recently come under fire from opposition parties and activists after a series of arrests and allegations of kidnappings of her opponents, Reuters notes.
Hassan denies allegations of widespread human rights abuses. Last year, she said she had ordered an investigation into the kidnapping reports, but official results have never been released.
During her election campaign, Hassan touted her achievements in expanding the country's road and rail networks and increasing electricity generation capacity.
The main opposition party called for protests during the election, which it said had been de facto transformed into a "coronation."
The main opposition party was disqualified from the April election after refusing to sign a code of conduct, and its leader, Tundu Lisu, was charged with treason.
The election commission also disqualified the candidate of the other major opposition party, leaving only smaller parties in the race against Hassan.