Connect with us

International

Tanzania opposition parties demand election rerun, call for street protests

Published

on

Opposition members protesting in Tanzania

The two main opposition parties in Tanzania are alleging widespread fraud during Wednesday’s presidential election and have thus called for street protests.

The allegations were made in a joint statement issued on Saturday by the CHADEMA and ACT Wazalendo parties which came hours after President John Magufuli was declared the winner for a second five-year term.

“What happened on October 28 was not an election but a butchering of democracy,” CHADEMA chairman Freeman Mbowe told reporters, asserting that more than 20 people were killed during the election.

READ ALSO: Tanzania’s Magufuli re-elected for second term

“We demand the election repeated with immediate effect and the dissolving of the national electoral commission,” Mbowe added.

He alleged widespread irregularities before and during the vote in the East African nation, including rejection of thousands of election observers, a considerable slowdown in the internet speed and affecting text messaging services and ballot-box stuffing.

Magufuli was declared the winner with 12.5 million votes, or 84 percent, while top opposition candidate Tundu Lissu received 1.9 million votes, or 13 percent.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now