According to the National Electoral Commission, Hassan won 98% of the vote. However, the main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from contesting, has rejected the results as a “sham” and is calling for fresh elections.

In the lead-up to and during the vote, widespread protests erupted in major cities including Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza. Opposition groups allege that hundreds of people were killed as security forces cracked down on demonstrators.

Local Journalist Maxmillan Bushoke, speaking from Tanzania on Tuesday, described scenes of unprecedented unrest. “The country missed its head whereby people were rioting in the streets, protesting, but without any flag showing any affiliation to any political party,” he said.

“It was hard to understand from which organisation they came, but they did a lot of destruction. I think this is the first time I’ve seen my country like this, where the military police and the police had to co-operate to bring peace.”

Bushoke said the demonstrations appeared to be driven by discontent among young Tanzanians, many of whom were angered by the exclusion of opposition figures. “Some political leaders were detained and couldn’t participate. If they had been given their rights, perhaps things would have gone differently,” he said.

While he acknowledged that the elections proceeded smoothly from an administrative perspective, he added that “Tanzania has never experienced disobedience of this sort” and that reconciliation efforts would be crucial in the coming weeks.

Hassan has promised to restore stability and begin dialogue with opposition and civil society leaders. In her inauguration address, she appealed for calm and unity, saying it was time for Tanzanians to “clean up the spilt milk” and rebuild trust after one of the most turbulent moments in the country’s post-independence history.

–ChannelAfrica–