US has ‘doubts’ about credibility of Tanzania election

The US said there were “serious doubts” about the credibility of Tanzania’s presidential election as early results suggest that President John Magufuli and his Chama Cha Mapenduzi (CCM) party had taken a clear lead.

The main opposition Chadema party has denounced the polls as fraudulent.

The president has won around 85% of the 32 constituency results announced by the Tanzania election commission, out of 264, the AFP news agency reports.

The US embassy said on Thursday that there were “credible allegations of significant election-related fraud and intimidation”.

The vote was marred by allegations of repeat voting, pre-filling of ballots, detentions of candidates and protesters, restrictions on political parties’ representatives to access polling stations and blocking of social media platforms, the embassy said.

“These irregularities and the overwhelming margins of victory raise serious doubts about the credibility of the results,” it said in a statement.

The result of presidential elections cannot be contested in Tanzania.

The ruling CCM party has been in power since its formation in 1977.

CCM was a successor to the Tanganyika African National Union, which governed Tanzania from 1961 to 1977.

Source: BBC