Last week’s Tanzania elections failed to comply with democratic standards, according to the African Union (AU), adding to mounting international pressure on President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration over the deadly vote.
The AU’s election monitoring arm – which sent a team of 72 observers to Tanzania and Zanzibar for the October 29 election – on Wednesday cited ballot stuffing, a government-imposed internet blackout, allegations of excessive military force, and politically motivated abductions as factors that “compromised election integrity.”
The election “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections,” the mission’s report concluded, adding that the environment was “not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes.”
Protesters poured into the streets of Dar es Salaam and other cities following the election, where they faced police violence, tear gas, and restricted internet access.
The country’s main opposition party, Chadema, has since claimed hundreds of people were killed, a figure the government has denied.
Independent footage circulating online shows dozens of bodies, including victims with gunshot wounds to the head, injured protesters, and security forces firing weapons in the streets.
The AU’s mission urged Tanzanian authorities to exercise restraint and conduct “thorough investigations” into violence against protesters.
Tanzania Elections Fell Short of Democratic Standards
“Tanzania should prioritise electoral and political reforms to address the root causes of its democratic and electoral challenges witnessed ahead of, during, and after the 2025 General Elections,” the report said.
Hassan swept nearly 98 percent of the vote after her two main competitors were barred from competing. Chadema was disqualified in April after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct, while the country’s second-biggest party, ACT-Wazalendo, was excluded following an objection from the attorney general.
Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, separately faces a treason trial after calling for election reforms.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) also noted that the disqualifications created an “uneven political playing field” that undermined the democratic process.
The last time SADC openly criticised an African election was during Zimbabwe’s 2023 polls. Since then, it has observed elections in Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In her first comments after being sworn in, Hassan appeared to blame foreigners for the unrest, saying “it was not a surprise that those arrested were from other countries,” according to a translation by the Associated Press.
Hassan first took power in 2021 following the unexpected death of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
Since then, local and international watchdogs have repeatedly raised concerns about her administration’s alleged campaign of forced disappearances, torture, and assaults on critics, as well as widespread media repression.
In June, a panel of United Nations experts said they had documented more than 200 disappearances in the country since 2019.
