DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the country’s election with more than 97% of the vote, according to official results announced early Saturday, in a rare landslide victory in the region.
The result is likely to amplify the concerns of critics, opposition groups and others who said the election in Tanzania was not a contest but a coronation after Hassan’s two main rivals were barred or prevented from running. She faced 16 candidates from smaller parties.
The Oct. 29 election was marred by violence as demonstrators took to the streets of major cities to protest the vote and stop the counting of votes. The military has been deployed to help police quell riots. Internet connectivity has been on and off in the East African nation, disrupting travel and other activities.
The protests have spread across Tanzania, and the government has postponed the reopening of universities, which had been set for Nov. 3.
There was a tense calm in the streets of Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital, on Saturday. Security forces manning roadblocks asked to see the identity cards of those who went out.
