Dar es Salaam, Nov. 3, (dpa/GNA) – Tanzanian police have arrested several opposition politicians for allegedly planning illegal demonstrations after accusing the ruling party of rigging last month’s general election.
Among those arrested are Chadema party national chairperson Freeman Mbowe and several other leading Chadema members, special police zone commander, Lazaro Mambosasa, told journalists in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, on Monday.
Opposition leader Tundu Lissu was also arrested on Monday, but released shortly after, said John Mnyika, general secretary of Chadema.
“We were tipped [off] that they were organizing illegal demonstrations and persuading youths to go into the streets today,” Mambosasa said.
“We did not issue a permit for anyone to hold demonstrations, so these are illegal demonstrations,” Mambosasa added.
Chadema, meanwhile, said 20 senior party officials have been detained.
The arrests come after Tanzania’s two main opposition parties on Saturday called for mass demonstrations after results from the October 28 parliamentary and presidential polls were released, returns which the opposition disputes.
According to the electoral commission, incumbent President John Magufuli – known as “the bulldozer” – gained an overwhelming 84 per cent of votes, while the opposition candidate Lissu only gained 13 per cent of votes.
The US embassy in Tanzania said there had been credible allegations of fraud and intimidation.
The European Union in a statement on Monday expressed concern about the reported irregularities.
“These serious allegations have an impact on the transparency and overall credibility of the process. They should be processed through legal means of redress,” the statement read.
Patricia Scotland, secretary general of the Commonwealth, also expressed concern about reports of violence at the elections and allegations of fraud.
GNA