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Tanzanian opposition figures arrested after disputed election Tanzanian opposition figures arrested after disputed election
(about 3 hours later)
Chadema leader arrested alongside former politicians as opposition calls for protests against election outcome Chadema chair arrested alongside former politicians ahead of planned demonstrations
Tanzanian police have arrested Freeman Mbowe, the leader of the main opposition party, Chadema, according to Tundu Lissu, the party’s candidate in last week’s presidential election. Tanzanian police have prevented planned opposition protests against last week’s disputed election by arresting officials of the main opposition party, Chadema, its presidential candidate said.
The opposition has demanded a repeat election, citing widespread irregularities, and called for protests against the outcome, which returned President John Magufuli to office with 84% of the vote. The opposition has demanded a re-run of the 28 October poll, citing widespread irregularities, and called for protests against the outcome, which returned President John Magufuli to office with 84% of the vote.
Those arrested with Mbowe include former member of parliament Godbless Lema, the former mayor of Dar es Salaam, Isaya Mwita, and the former mayor of Ubungo municipality, Boniface Jacob. “We have not been able to protest,” Tundu Lissu, who garnered an official 13%, told Reuters, citing heavy deployments of the police on the streets and the arrest of several party officials and supporters.
“I got a message around midnight that they had been taken in,” Lissu said on Monday. Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe, former lawmaker Godbless Lema and the former mayor of Ubungo municipality, Boniface Jacob, were all arrested late on Sunday.
Mwananchi, a privately owned daily that publishes in Swahili, quoted Dar es Salaam’s regional police commander Lazaro Mambosasa as saying they had detained Mbowe and other opposition leaders. “I got a message around midnight that they had been taken in,” Lissu said.
The US said it was concerned about reports showing “systematic interference in the democratic process,” while the UK said it was “troubled by the reports of violence and heavy-handed policing in the elections”. Mbowe, Lema and Jacob, together with seven of their supporters, were arrested to prevent them destroying property under the guise of protests, according to Lazaro Mambosasa, Dar es Salaam’s regional police commander.
“We are searching for others. Since we started arresting the suspects, the opposition has restrained itself and the city is calm,” he said by phone.
The US ambassador Donald Wright said reports of arrests were of “extreme concern”.
“I urge the government to ensure the safety and security of all opposition leaders, cease these targeted arrests, release detainees, restore telecommunications, and afford due process under the law to all citizens,” he wrote on Twitter.
Last week, Tanzanians reported nationwide problems accessing social media platforms, including Twitter and WhatsApp in what critics said was a state effort to curb dissent by limiting people’s ability to communicate. Twitter confirmed that it had seen some “throttling” of its platform while internet blockage monitor NetBlocks observed widespread disruption.
The UK urged the electoral authorities to investigate all reported irregularities and said it was troubled by heavy handed policing of the election.
The national electoral commission said last week there was no evidence of irregularities, like fake ballots, during voting.
Magufuli’s CCM party, a version of which has held power since independence from Britain in 1961, also increased its parliamentary majority to 97% of the 264 seats from three quarters in the previous five years.
During his first term, Magufuli invested heavily in infrastructure projects and instituted reforms in mining and telecommunications industries to extract more revenues from the sectors.