More than 29 million people have registered to vote in Wednesday’s election to decide the fate of President Magufuli, who is seeking re-election. Voting will be allowed until 4pm local time (13:00 GMT). Tanzanians are voting in the presidential election preceded by a government crackdown on the opposition leaders and free speech concerns under the incumbent John Magufuli.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party has been in power since independence in 1961. Magufuli, 60, is seeking a second and final five-year term in office. While opinion polls have been banned, making it difficult to predict the outcome, many analysts see Magufuli as having strong chances of re-election. His top opposition challenger is Tundu Lissu, a survivor of an assassination attempt in 2017, who returned from exile earlier this year to campaign. He was banned from campaigning for a week earlier this month by authorities who accused him of making seditious comments. The opposition faces a major challenge in trying to unseat the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, as 15 presidential candidates seek a win, splitting support.
