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Tanzania: Opposition parties do not recognize election results

2020-10-31T23:35:32.491Z


The opposition in Tanzania does not want to be satisfied with the election overshadowed by allegations of falsification and acts of violence. Two parties are calling for new elections - and "endless peaceful protests".


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Tanzania's President John Magufuli, here casting his vote, is governing the country with an increasingly hard hand

Photo: Stringer / AP

The two largest opposition parties in Tanzania have called for a repeat of last Wednesday's election.

This is reported by the AP news agency, citing a joint statement by the Chadema and ACT Wazalendo parties.

The incumbent President John Magufuli declared himself the election winner again on Friday.

According to official information, the 61-year-old received 12.5 million votes, or 84 percent.

His strongest challenger, opposition leader Tundu Lissu, only got 1.9 million votes and 13 percent.

According to the electoral commission, the turnout was around 50 percent.

"Slaughter of Democracy"

"What happened on October 28 was not an election, but a slaughter of democracy," said Chadema boss Freeman Mbowe.

According to him, at least 20 people were killed in the election.

"We are calling for an immediate re-election and the dissolution of the national electoral commission," said Mbowe.

Until the implementation of the demand there should be "endless peaceful protests" from Monday.

The police threatened, however, that protests would be strictly prohibited.

However, there are considerable doubts about the information about Magufuli's clear victory.

The populist politician, nicknamed "Bulldozer", is ruling the country with an increasingly hard hand.

Opposition members in Tanzania have been reporting violence and intimidation attempts for months, and in the election on Wednesday there were reports of "far-reaching irregularities".

There were also serious allegations from the opposition in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar.

On the island of Pemba, at least five people are said to have been killed by police immediately before the election.

According to the party, the victims tried to prevent the army from distributing ballot boxes containing ballot papers that had already been filled out.

According to the AP, the police have so far only admitted arrests and no deaths.

Praying against Corona

Critics and human rights activists, however, condemn his increasing restrictions on freedom of the press and freedom of expression and his handling of the corona pandemic.

Tanzania has not officially registered any more corona cases since May.

Magufuli attracted attention with the suggestion that one should pray against the pandemic.

Tanzania with its around 56 million inhabitants is actually considered a stable country, but the governance of Magufuli has come under increasing criticism at home and abroad.

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fek / AP / Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2020-10-31

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