Jeanne Shaheen, a U.S. senator and member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, on Monday said the reelection of President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania was fraudulent.
Ms Saheen, in a post on X, accused Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi of endangering the safety of its citizens, tourists, and the country during the election.
“Tanzania’s ruling party has endangered the safety of its citizens and tourists in the country,” Ms Saheen said.
The U.S. lawmaker added that the relationship between the U.S. and Tanzania should be reviewed due to the fraudulent election that saw the Tanzanian president grab power for another five years.
“After these fraudulent elections, the U.S.-Tanzania relationship must be reviewed,” Ms Saheen said.
Reactions have trailed Tanzania’s election, in which major opposition candidates, Tundu Lissu of the CHADEMA party, and Luhaga Mpina of the Alliance for Change and Transparency, have been involved.
CHADEMA said over 700 people were killed by police during the protests that shook Tanzania.
However, Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission declared Ms Hassan the winner of the controversial election on Saturday.
According to INEC, Ms Hassan, who assumed power in 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli, won 98 per cent of the votes.
On Monday, Ms Hassan’s swearing-in ceremony was held at the State House in Dodoma, the capital, under tight security.
Meanwhile, the opposition, in a statement on Sunday, accused the police of collecting bodies of those killed during the protests to erase evidence, called on the International Criminal Court to investigate the killings, and vowed not to recognise Ms Hassan as president.
The Southern African Development Committee Electoral Observation Mission, Amnesty International, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the European Union, the UK, Canadian, and Norwegian missions in Tanzania have all expressed concern over the election.
Leave a Reply