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Police in Tanzania have arrested the chairman of the primary opposition get together within the wake of a disputed election.
Freeman Mbowe was detained, together with two different Chadema leaders, for planning violent protests, police mentioned.
Chadema presidential candidate Tundu Lissu was launched after being briefly detained in the primary metropolis Dar es Salaam.
He had rejected President John Magufuli’s victory in final week’s election, saying the vote was rigged.
Chadema known as for peaceable demonstrations to demand contemporary elections.
The National Election Commission mentioned Mr Magufuli had received a second time period with 84% of the vote, in contrast with Mr Lissu’s 13%. It denied the outcome was fraudulent.
What occurred with the arrests?
Police briefly detained Mr Lissu after arresting him exterior Umoja House, the place international embassies are positioned.
Mr Lissu survived an assassination try in 2017 and returned from overseas in July to vie for the presidency.
Earlier, police confirmed the arrest of Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe and two different get together leaders, accusing them of planning violent protests.
Over the weekend, the leaders of Chadema, together with Mr Mbowe, and one other opposition get together, ACT-Wazalendo, urged their supporters to return out in giant numbers to peacefully protest and demand contemporary elections.
Mr Lissu alleged final week that his get together brokers had been prevented from coming into some polling stations the place poll containers have been tampered with.
Police have mentioned that intelligence stories steered that the opposition was planning to burn down markets and petrol stations.
ACT-Wazalendo chief Zitto Kabwe mentioned on Saturday that the choice to protest was for “the future of our country”.
“We cannot accept going back to a one-party system,” he added.
The ruling CCM get together ruled Tanzania from 1977 to 1992 as the one legally allowed get together, and has received each multiparty election since. It was fashioned in a merger of the Tanganyika African National Union, which ruled from independence in 1961.
Mr Magufuli was first elected in 2015.
In final week’s election for parliament, CCM received 256 constituency seats out of 264.
No signal of protesters, solely riot police
Athuman Mtulya, BBC News, Dar es Salaam
In some methods, issues have gone again to regular and this metropolis, the nation’s business hub, is busy as soon as once more after final week’s common election.
But a big presence of anti-riot police in two elements of Dar es Salaam point out that not the whole lot is regular.
These have been speculated to be the 2 beginning factors for the opposition demonstrations known as for right this moment, however by lunchtime there was no signal of the protesters.
Police have threatened to make use of power to detain anybody who takes half in avenue demonstrations.
Some are saying that now the election is over, issues ought to go on as earlier than, others although have expressed an curiosity in protesting however feared the response from the authorities.
How credible was the election?
The NEC has dismissed the opposition’s claims of fraud and its head, Semistocles Kaijage, mentioned allegations of faux poll papers have been unsubstantiated.
And on Friday an observer mission from the East African Community mentioned that the election was “conducted in a regular manner”.
But an African Union observer mission, led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, has not made an announcement. Mr Jonathan left the nation with out giving a press convention.
Last week, the US embassy in Dar es Salaam mentioned that “irregularities and the overwhelming margins of victory raise serious doubts about the credibility of the results… as well as concerns about the government of Tanzania’s commitment to democratic values”.
What occurred in Zanzibar?
As properly as collaborating within the Tanzanian elections, voters on the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar additionally elected their very own president, and the CCM candidate Hussein Mwinyi was declared the winner with 76% of the votes.
His principal rival, ACT-Wazalendo’s Maalim Seif Sharif acquired 19% – his greatest defeat in any presidential election he has taken half in. He additionally known as for protests.
Mr Mwinyi was sworn in on Monday.
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