What to know about key political figures in Tanzania after deadly election violence

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KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Tanzania is reeling from violence following the Oct. 29 election that international observers say fell short of a free and fair vote. As authorities face questions over the death toll after security forces tried to quell riots and opposition protests in the East African country, the leading opposition party Chadema asserts that hundreds were killed in the violence.

The African Union said Wednesday in a statement that its observers had concluded the election “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.”

AU observers reported ballot stuffing at several polling stations and cases where voters were issued multiple ballots. The environment surrounding the election was “not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes,” the statement said.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, took more than 97% of the vote, according to an official tally. Her main rivals, Tundu Lissu of Chadema and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, were barred from running in what rights groups have called a climate of repression. There were enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings, according to Amnesty International. Tanzania’s government has denied it.

While Hassan is the main subject of anger in Tanzania, critics have asserted that others share the blame, claiming that Africa’s only female head of state is largely a figurehead. Here is a look at five key political figures:

Hassan is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and chairperson of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi party, which has ruled Tanzania since independence from Britain in 1961. Her share of this vote was the highest ever in a presidential race since the start of multi-party politics in 1992. Hassan has “overseen an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” with Chadema banned from participating in elections and its leader, Lissu, charged with treason after he urged electoral reforms, the International Crisis Group has said in its assessment.

Hassan’s critics assert that she has surrounded herself with loyalists from Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous archipelago where she was born. That has led to fears of factionalism within the ruling party. The Zanzibar clique “lacks extensive experience of government,” William Farmer, an analyst with the London-based Africa Practice consulting firm, told The Associated Press.

Kikwete is Tanzania’s only surviving former president. He has remained influential in politics since he left the presidency in 2015 and was instrumental in the orderly transition of power when Hassan’s predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, died in office in 2021.

Many Tanzanians see Kikwete as a key behind-the-scenes supporter of Hassan, and they have criticized him over the election violence. He has not addressed such allegations publicly. Kikwete is also seen as representing foreign business interests keen to maintain political stability, said Tito Magoti, a human rights lawyer in Dar es Salaam.

Nchimbi is a former interior minister and outgoing secretary-general of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi, or CCM, party. He and Hassan were inaugurated on Monday in the administrative capital, Dodoma. Nchimbi is seen as a classic party ideologue who is well-placed for a possible presidential run when Hassan’s term ends in five years. Brenda Rupia, director of communications for the Chadema opposition group, described Nchimbi as the CCM strategist, in charge of overall policy while he ran the secretariat.

One of Hassan’s key advisors is her son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir. While he has held no formal role in Hassan’s government, some critics claim he was a key organizer of the latest crackdown, according to Farmer. Humphrey Polepole, Tanzania’s former ambassador to Cuba who was taken from his home last month and remains missing, had his diplomatic status revoked after he criticized Hassan’s leadership style and claimed that Ameir was operating as an informal intelligence chief. Ameir has not addressed such allegations publicly.

Makonda, a former regional commissioner of Dar es Salaam, is a high-ranking member of the ruling party and Hassan ally. He is among those “most likely to get plum roles” in the next administration, according to Farmer. The U.S. in 2020 sanctioned Makonda, saying he was “implicated in oppression of the political opposition, crackdowns on freedom of expression and association, and the targeting of marginalized individuals.”