Long lines of voters in Tanzania went to the polls on Wednesday for a presidential election that the opposition warns is already deeply compromised by manipulation and deadly violence.
“My life is in danger”, tweeted the chairman of one of the East African nation’s main opposition parties, Freeman Mbowe of the Democracy and Progress Party, commonly known as Chadema, early in the morning, claiming that “heavily armed gangsters” protected by the police had looted his hotel and taken two of his security guards.
Once praised for its relative peace and peace-building efforts in Africa, Tanzania has become a human rights crisis as diplomats, the UN Human Rights Office and others say the government under President John Magufuli has stifled the media, civil society and opposition voices.
He has also been accused of belittling the coronavirus pandemic and declaring it defeated through prayer.
The populist Magufuli, who partly made his name by targeting corruption, is now seeking a second five-year term in one of Africa’s most populous and fastest growing economies.
“Maintaining peace is a priority,” the president said after the vote, pointing his finger. He invoked democracy and called on people to vote.
Leading opposition challenger Tundu Lissu survived a 2017 assassination attempt and returned from exile earlier this year. He was banned from campaigning for a week earlier this month by authorities who accused him of making outrageous comments.
Lissu has urged people to take to the streets to protest if the election results are announced on Thursday without counting properly. The one who gets the most votes wins without a second round.
Results are expected within three days – and according to law, the results declared by the election commission can not be questioned in court.
The opposition faces a major challenge in trying to get rid of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, which has been in power since independence in 1961, when 15 presidential candidates sought a win and split support. More than 29 million people have registered to vote. Internet services declined before the vote.
Fewer major election observers will be present, some say they were not invited by the government, and the opposition said authorities made it difficult to accredit thousands of their own observers. Few in the foreign media received approval to report in the field. “Everyone has a duty to protect the legitimacy of this general election,” the newspaper Citizen said on Wednesday, reminding readers that “for decades, Tanzania has been a island of peace.” Deadly violence erupted before the vote when Tanzania’s second highest opposition party, the ACT Wazalendo, accused police of shooting nine people in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar.
Meanwhile, Chadema accused supporters of the ruling party of shooting dead two people at a meeting in a town in the northeast. The ruling party did not respond to requests for comment.
A Zanzibar voter, Yahya Khamis, said it was doubtful whether voting would be free or fair. “To our surprise, we have only received four ballot papers while we have to vote for five candidates,” Khamis said.
Another Zanzibar voter, Jokha Mohammed, noted: “We are very confident in our security today.” Police and military presence remained heavy. Tanzania’s election watchdog, a regional initiative of prominent personalities, has pointed out hate speech and threats against candidates, saying the election will be flawed if it is held under current conditions.
“There are legitimate fears that the heavy police and army deployment over Zanzibar will frighten residents and create fear and despair that could deter voters from meeting,” the group said on Wednesday.
It warned that security forces had created a “climate of fear” and said it was “concerned about the shutdown of communication channels, including the shutdown of bulk SMS services, reported blocking of social media sites and the slowdown in internet communications.”
