To many Tanzanians – even those in the governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi – President Samia Suluhu Hassan embarks on the defence of the seat she inherited from John Pomb Magufuli facing unflattering allegations of assassinations, enforced disappearances, human rights abuses and regional isolation.

The unflattering credentials also put to test women’s quest for more central roles in political decision-making on a continent that has historically been patriarchal. When Samia Suluhu Hassan came to power after the demise of John Magufuli, there was a brief sigh of relief before she embarked on opposition crackdown.

She has remained unrelentingly ruthless as she tightened grip on political power.

As the official campaign period started for Tanzania’s October General Election on August 28, 2025, President Suluhu Hassan unveiled her party’s parliamentary candidates and the main opposition leader remaining in custody.

Hassan, of the ruling CCM party, was cleared on Wednesday to run in the October 29 elections by Tanzania’s electoral authority while the main opposition party, CHADEMA, was barred from taking part after refusing to sign an electoral conduct document and calling for electoral reforms.

CHADEMA’s leader Tundu Lissu remains in custody after he was charged with treason in April for urging electoral reforms.

Tundu, a lawyer by training, fell afoul of the party in power, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Revolutionary Party), when like many Mainlanders questioned constitution that allows the Islanders to have its own constitution, national anthem and national flag.

In addition, Mainlanders travelling to the Zanzibar must be cleared by the archipelagos’ immigration, must Islanders are free to travel to Mainland without such checks.

What irks Mainlanders more is that Zanzibar has its own parliament (Bunge la Waakilishi), makes its own laws without interference of the union government. The Islanders are also allowed to elect MPs to either legislature.

A similar question for total autonomy led then Civic United Front (CUF) opposition leader Seif Sharif Hamad resulted in the killing in 2000 of more than 5,000 people in Zanzibar’s islands of Unguja and Pemba the military, while hundreds of thousands others were forced into refuge in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan hails from Zanzibar, where Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, which is a semi-autonomous government is headed by President Hussein Mwinyi. President Hussien Mwinyi – son of former Tanzania President Hassan Mwinyi, who took over the reins of power from founding Tanzania President Julius Kambarage Nyerere.

The presidential candidate for the second biggest opposition party, ACT Wazalendo, on Wednesday was also barred from contesting polls in October for questioning the inequalities in the union that gives Zanzibar’s roughly two million people more advantages against Tanganyika’s more than 65 million people.

Like CHADEMA, ACT has been pushing for constitutional reforms ahead of the October polls, which President Suluhu Hassan has vehemently resisted. In addition, the opposition questions the independence of the Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission, which is picked solely by the sitting president.

The opposition has been calling for the electoral commission to be subjected to parliamentary vetting to minimise bias and influence of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi.

Hassan officially launched her party’s campaign on Thursday alongside her running mate Emmanuel Nchimbi and introduced its slate of parliamentary candidates.

Hassan has been accused of silencing her critics after opposition leaders were arrested in recent months and rivals have criticized her candidacy. But her candidacy was defended by former President Jakaya Kikwete who said Hassan was allowed to seek a second consecutive term in office in line with party rules.

“We have a tradition that if the incumbent president seeks a second term, they are given the sole ticket. Why should it be different for President Samia?” he said.

In her first days in office, Hassan struck a reconciliatory tone and lifted a six-year ban on political rallies that was imposed by former President John Magufuli. But she has changed tune in recent months, warning foreign activists coming to Tanzania for the opposition leader’s court case and saying she will not allow them to destroy the country.

“I inherited a country that needed both national and international consensus to be governed, a consensus between government and political leaders, businesses, and international communities,” she said Thursday.

Hassan is being challenged by 16 other presidential candidates.

• A Tell Media report / Additional reporting by AP