NAIROBI (Reuters) -Tanzania’s election did not comply with democratic standards, the African Union’s observer mission said on Wednesday of the disputed vote that triggered deadly protests.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the landslide winner of the October 29 vote, but opponents accused the government of fraud and there were protests over the exclusion of her main challengers.
“At this preliminary stage, the Mission concludes that the 2025 Tanzania General Elections did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections,” the mission said.
Observers saw ballot stuffing at several polling stations, with people being issued multiple papers to vote, it said, also noting an absence of political party agents. During counting, some observers were asked to leave stations, it added.
The government says the election was fair and transparent.
Tanzania’s main opposition party CHADEMA, which was barred from participating in the election, says it has documented hundreds of deaths in the protests.
Boniface Mwabukusi, president of the Tanganyika Law Society representing lawyers in mainland Tanzania, said he estimated the death toll at over 1,000 based on reports from local contacts.
Compiling a precise count was difficult, however, because the government was threatening people to prevent them from sharing information, he said.
Hassan, who was sworn back into office on Monday after being credited with 98% of the vote, acknowledged people died, but her government has called the opposition toll hugely exaggerated.
“Tanzania should prioritise electoral and political reforms to address the root causes of its democratic and electoral challenges witnessed ahead of, during, and after last week’s elections,” the AU mission added in its statement.
(Reporting by George Obulutsa and Aaron Ross; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly and Sharon Singleton)
