DAR ES SALAAM

Tanzania’s main opposition party leader Freeman Mbowe and other party officials have been arrested ahead of a planned countrywide protest to oppose the vote count that gave resounding victory to the incumbent President John Magufuli.

Lazaro Mambosasa, Dar es Salaam police commander, confirmed that Chadema party’s Mbowe, Godbless Lemma, the former MP from the northern Arusha city, and other senior party officials were detained yesterday for questioning about their protest plans.

The arrest comes barely a day before the protest called by the east African country’s opposition to express their grievances over the results of the Oct. 28 presidential elections in which Magufuli bagged a whopping 84% of the votes against his main challenger Tundu Lissu, who garnered 13%.

The opposition parties are demanding a fresh election and complete overhauling of the National Electoral Commission.

“An election is about reflecting the wishes of the people […] what happened was not an election because all the proven irregularities mean that the announced votes and the wishes of the people are not the same,” said Zitto Kabwe, the leader of ACT-Wazalendo party.

Meanwhile, Liberatus Sabas, the director for police operations and training, warned the public to stay away from the “illegal and unacceptable” march.

“There are legal channels the opposition need to follow to express their dissatisfaction, we will not allow them to disrupt public order,” Sabas said.