Tanzanian President defends the state of democracy under her rule

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday defended the state of democracy under her rule, brushing aside persistent complaints from the opposition that she was leading the country towards dictatorship.

Hassan, who was elevated to the presidency in March following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli, also hinted that she would run for office in 2025.

Initially, Hassan reached out to the opposition, promising to defend democracy and fundamental freedoms, and to reopen media that were banned under Magufuli.

But the arrest of opposition leaders and the suspension of newspapers have tarnished hopes that she would turn the page on the increasingly oppressive regime of her predecessor.

“Tanzania (is) very good at democracy,” said Hassan, a pillar of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party who served as Magufuli’s vice-chairman.

“I know that there are challenges in our democracy but it is normal because no country is perfect when it comes to democracy,” she said at a ceremony marking International Human Rights Day. UN democracy.

Democracy “under arrest”

The July arrest of Freeman Mbowe, leader of the main opposition Chadema party, raised concerns at home and abroad that she was seeking to silence dissent.

Mbowe was arrested along with a number of other senior party officials just before they held a public forum to call for a new constitution, in raids, according to Chadema, they reflect Tanzania’s slide into “dictatorship.” “.

He remains behind bars and faces a trial for terrorist financing and conspiracy which he dismissed as politically motivated.

Another opposition party, the Alliance for Change and Transparency, accused Wednesday that democracy was “under arrest” under the Hassan government.

“We say this because the government has deliberately interrupted some democratic processes in the name of building the economy,” he said in a statement.

“No one has the power to restrict freedom of opinion, of the press, of association or of voting, but unfortunately this was done by the previous government and the current government continues the trend.”

Hassan, who is currently the only woman in both head of government and head of state in Africa, has also hinted that she will run for office in four years.

“They start teasing us, publishing in the press that Samia won’t show up. Who told them that?” she said.

“We will put a woman in the presidency in 2025, if we do our job well, if we are united.”

Last month, the government suspended a CCM-owned newspaper for 14 days for publishing a “false” story that Hassan was not planning to run for president.

It was the first time that authorities have imposed such a ban on the Uhuru newspaper, and the first such action against a media outlet since Hassan took office.

Earlier this month, the government also suspended a private newspaper for 30 days for linking a “terrorist” gunman who killed four people in an August shooting in the ruling party’s Dar es Salaam.