Tanzanian voters headed to the polls on Wednesday in a presidential election expected to hand President Samia Suluhu Hassan another term, after leading opposition candidates were barred from running.
The election is taking place without the participation of the opposition party “Chadema,” whose leader is on trial for treason. The National Electoral Commission also disqualified the candidate from ACT-Wazalendo, the country’s second-largest opposition party, effectively limiting the race to the ruling CCM party and a few minor contenders.
President Suluhu Hassan’s campaign has centered on themes of stability, continuity, and unity, with pledges to complete major infrastructure projects and expand public services.
Opposition figures, however, have criticized the process as undemocratic, saying it offers no real alternative for voters.
Police said they have secured all polling operations, warning against any attempts to disrupt public order. The vote comes amid online calls for protests over alleged civil rights abuses and politically motivated abductions.
The ruling CCM party has dominated Tanzania’s political scene since independence and has never lost the presidency in the nation’s history.
