Tanzania’s president urges compatriots to move away from partisan battlegrounds

01 Novembre 2020

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, November 1 (Infosplusgabpon) – Tanzania’s president John Pombe Magufuli on Sunday appealed to his compatriots to put aside their political differences, now that the election is over, and find a national common ground to build a prosperous nation.

In his acceptance speech after he was presented with a victory certificate in the capital, Dodoma, on Sunday, Dr Magufuli thanked other contestants in the 28 October 2020 election for exercising their democratic right.

“I sincerely thank other contestants for fulfilling their democratic right, which has enabled us to understand what Tanzanians want,” said Dr Magufuli, who registered a landslide re-election victory that gave him a second and final-year term in office.

In the final results announced on Friday, the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Justice Semistocles Kaijage said that Dr Magufuli, 61, of CCM party won 84.4 percent of the vote, with his main opponent, Tundu Lissu, who was contesting on the opposition Chadema party ticket, being credited with 13 percent of the vote.

“This overwhelming victory is a huge debt to Tanzanians who have shown great trust in us. I owe Tanzanians a lot. I’ll pay back this trust by working hard day and night,” said President Magufuli who was flanked by Samia Suluhu Hassan, his running-mate and subsequent vice-president.

He will be sworn in at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma on 5 November, according to the government spokesman, Dr Hassan Abbasi.

The ceremony to present him with election victory certificate, was also attended by 12 out of 15 losing presidential candidates and observers from within and outside Tanzania, who hailed the poll as largely peaceful.

Speaking during the occasion, the head of delegation of the East African Community (EAC) and former Burundi president,  Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, said they saw the election as “free and fair”.

In the meantime, Tanzania’s two major opposition parties, Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo, have rejected the results citing massive irregularities and demanded fresh elections.

“We are calling on the international community not to recognise what was referred to as a general election, and we call on them to take appropriate action,” twitted Chadema national chairman, Freeman Mbowe, who lost his parliamentary seat in the party’s stronghold of Kilimanjaro Region.

According to the Tanzanian constitution, presidential election results declared by the Electoral Commission cannot be challenged in court.

President Magufuli, former Minister of Works, was elected to the first five-year term in 2015, succeeding Jakaya Kikwete.

Dr Magufuli who has steered Tanzania to a middle-income status five years ahead of schedule had an easy ride over his opponents chiefly due to his stance against corruption.

In its anti-corruption drive, Magufuli’s administration established a special anti-graft court and sacked scores of dishonest public officials.

Achievements in his first five years include restoration of discipline in the civil service and control of government expenditure.

The CCM government also succeeded in the control and protection of the country’s natural resources, including minerals.

It was during the first five years that the Magufuli administration enacted three mineral laws and made a number of reforms in the extractive industry.

President Magufuli has also managed to increase the government capacity to bring social services closer to the people, including provision of free education, improved health facilities and implementation of water projects and electricity across the country.

He also made investments in mega infrastructure projects such as reviving the national carrier, Air Tanzania, building standard gauge railway and power projects which, according to him, put in place the foundation for a strong economy.

However, his critics have been accusing his administration of suppressing free speech and political freedom. The government has consistently denied the accusations.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AQS/GABON2020

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