DODOMA – Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a sweeping victory in the nation’s contentious election, clinching over 97% of the votes, as reported by officials early on Saturday. This overwhelming result stands out in the region for its rarity.

Such an outcome is likely to heighten the worries of critics, opposition parties, and others who have argued that the Tanzanian election resembled more of a coronation than a democratic contest, especially after Hassan’s primary challengers were either disqualified or obstructed from participating. She was up against 16 candidates from smaller political factions.

The election, conducted on October 29, was overshadowed by turmoil, with large-scale protests erupting across major cities as demonstrators attempted to disrupt the vote counting process. In response, the military was dispatched to assist police in containing the unrest, while internet access across the East African nation experienced frequent disruptions.

Opposition leader Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party has been imprisoned for months under charges of treason, following his calls for electoral reforms deemed essential for ensuring a free and fair election. Meanwhile, another opposition leader, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was prohibited from contesting.

The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, was determined to maintain its long-standing dominance, particularly in the face of emerging charismatic opposition figures aiming to steer the country towards political transformation.

Such a decisive victory is rare in the region, where only Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, known for his authoritarian rule, consistently achieves similar landslide wins.

Rights groups including Amnesty International cited a pattern of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings in Tanzania ahead of the polls.

In June, a United Nations panel of human rights experts cited more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance since 2019, saying they were “alarmed by reports of a pattern of repression” ahead of elections.

Tanzania’s president oversaw “an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” the International Crisis Group said in its most recent analysis. “The government has curbed freedom of expression, ranging from a ban on X and restrictions on the Tanzanian digital platform JamiiForums to silencing critical voices through intimidation or arrest.”

The political maneuvering by Tanzanian authorities is unprecedented even in a country where single-party rule has been the norm since the advent of multi-party politics in 1992.

Government critics point out that previous leaders tolerated opposition while maintaining a firm grip on power, whereas Hassan is accused of leading with an authoritarian style that defies youth-led democracy movements elsewhere in the region.

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Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda. An Associated Press reporter in Dodoma, Tanzania contributed.