Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has officially launched her re-election campaign ahead of the October elections. The campaign began with a glitzy rally in the economic capital of Dar es Salaam.
During the event, President Hassan told supporters that her party, the Party of Revolution (CCM), had “accomplished major milestones” and had the necessary “energy to continue leading our country.” She also pledged to expand healthcare services and address the controversial practice of hospitals withholding bodies of the deceased over unpaid bills.
Additionally, she promised to establish a reconciliation commission and begin the process of drafting a new constitution, although no further details were provided. The election campaign is unfolding amid rising international criticism over the government’s crackdown on the opposition.
The main opposition party, Chadema, was disqualified in April after its leader, Tundu Lissu, refused to participate without significant voting reforms. This week, the electoral commission also disqualified Luhaga Mpina, a candidate for the third-largest party, the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo), citing a lack of “qualifications.”
President Hassan’s candidacy has also faced criticism from within her own party. In July, former ambassador to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole, resigned, citing a “leadership orientation that fails to adequately defend human rights.”
Despite the criticism, some of Hassan’s supporters remain confident, believing that no other party can compete with the CCM, regardless of the opposition’s participation. However, one supporter, Omary Mrisho, expressed disappointment about Chadema’s exclusion, noting that the rival party “usually livens things up” and pushes CCM leaders to develop “better ideas.”