Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is widely expected to secure a second term in office after several prominent opposition candidates were barred from contesting in next month’s national election, a move that analysts say consolidates her dominance but raises questions about democratic competition.
According to Reuters, the country’s electoral commission disqualified key opposition figures from the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA) and ACT-Wazalendo, citing irregularities in their nomination documents. The exclusions have drawn criticism from civil society groups and Western observers who argue that the move undermines Tanzania’s political openness ahead of the 2025 polls.
Hassan, who assumed power in 2021 following the death of former president John Magufuli, has positioned herself as a reform-minded leader seeking to attract foreign investment and rebuild Tanzania’s global image. “Our focus remains on stability, investment, and development,” Hassan said during a campaign stop in Dodoma, as quoted by Bloomberg.
Political analysts told Al Jazeera that the president’s near-certain victory could reinforce investor confidence in short-term stability but may also dampen hopes for stronger political pluralism in one of East Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
