Voter turnout was thin across Tanzania on Wednesday as the presidential election proceeded with the country’s principal challengers jailed, disqualified, or otherwise sidelined, rights groups and journalists said.
Observers and reporters said normally busy polling centres in Dar es Salaam were nearly empty an hour after polls opened, a phenomenon officials attributed to voter apathy and fear amid a heavy security presence that included armored vehicles and warnings against demonstrations.
Witnesses and footage posted on social media showed police using tear gas to disperse protestors in several neighbourhoods.
The main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA, is standing trial on treason charges and remains detained, and CHADEMA was barred from contesting the election after authorities said the party failed to sign a required code of conduct.
Another challenger, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was removed from the ballot on procedural grounds, leaving President Samia Suluhu Hassan to face mostly minor-party candidates. Reuters and regional outlets said Hassan is widely expected to retain power.
Human-rights groups warned the vote was held in a climate of intimidation. Amnesty International said authorities had instilled a “climate of fear,” documenting arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and other abuses in the run-up to the poll; local monitors reported dozens of detentions of opposition figures and activists this year.
The restrictions on international access and internet disruptions complicated independent verification of events at many stations.
The muted participation and the sidelining of major rivals have prompted questions about the election’s competitiveness and credibility, even as government officials defended the process as peaceful and lawful.
Election officials said results would be released within days; international observers urged restraint and called for unhindered access to verify the outcome.
