MAGUFULI SHUTS DOWN TANZANIA
Although unofficial preliminary reports are showing President Magufuli leading by far, election commission chairman Wilson Charles Mahera said they would shortly begin releasing formal results.
“The commission is starting to receive results from the presidential election… after verification we will at any moment start publishing preliminary results,” he told reporters.
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Tanzania used to be the most peaceful country in East Africa with admirable transitions of power. In the recent times, President Magufuli has been accused of authoritarianism and slowly sliding the country into dictatorship.
Magufuli’s main challenger in this elections is Tundu Lissu who returned to Tanzania three months ago. He had spent three years abroad undergoing treatment after being gunned over 16 times. Tundu Lissu maintains the shooting was politically-motivated assassination attempt.
Before Lissu came back to Tanzania there was almost zero opposition. People who castigated Magufuli leadership were attacked, arrested or banned from holding political rallies.
Before the elections, Magufuli had already blocked internet in Tanzania. Phone calls were also monitored with bulk messaging blocked. It was evident the country was not planning for a transparent election.
Lissu said he was not going to accept the results of rigged elections. “Voting reports indicate widespread irregularities in the form of preventing our polling agents from accessing polling stations,” tweeted Lissu.
Lissu called Tanzanians to mass demonstrate. “If this continues, mass democratic action will be the only option to protect the integrity of the election.”
There have been cases in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania were ballots have been seized with premarked papers favouring Magufuli.
Magufuli has essentially shut down Tanzania. Most international media were unable to gain accreditation to cover voting on the mainland, and major social media networks were blocked, accessible only through virtual private networks (VPN).
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