Tanzania: Kikwete Inaugurated
East Africa | 11.07.10 By PoliticsAfrica Staff
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete gives a speech during his inauguration at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was sworn in Saturday for a second term following elections marred by low voter turnout and allegations of vote rigging.
The main opposition Chadema party, whose candidate finished closest to Kikwete, has rejected the outcome, insisting fraud had occurred.
Party leaders had warned before the vote that they would consider “civil disobedience” if the election was rigged.
Tanzania’s electoral commission and security intelligence agencies were accused by opposition parties of falsifying both the presidential and parliamentary results in favor of Kikwete and his party following the October 31 vote.
Local and foreign observers, including the European Union, have voiced concern regarding the transparency of the vote count.
For three days, police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters angry at the delay in some results and the credibility of others in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam and some other parts of east Africa’s second biggest economy.
The election was seen as a test of the dominance of the ruling party, but the low turnout weakened Kikwete’s victory.
The turnout of 43 percent of the 20 million registered voters was the lowest in Tanzanian history.
“The election is over. We should let bygones be bygones and ensure peace and stability prevail,” Kikwete, 60, who garnered 61 percent of the vote, said in his inauguration speech.
“I would like our security forces to be on alert. We should not give opportunity to anybody or any groups of people from inside or outside Tanzania to endanger our peace,” said Kikwete after a 21-gun salute in his honor.
Presidents Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Rupiah Banda of Zambia and Joseph Kabila of Democratic Republic of Congo were present.
The Chadema party leader, Willibrod Slaa, boycotted the ceremony and its top leaders said they would meet to decide their next course of action.
The other main opposition parties, Civic United Front (CUF) and NCCR-Mageuzi, also complained of gross election irregularities.
Kikwete must step down after his next term.
Tanzania, Africa’s fourth biggest gold producer, has enjoyed relative stability in a volatile region, but remains mired in poverty.
Foreign donors cut their contributions to the 2010-11 budget in protest of the slow pace of reforms by Kikwete
Loading ...
It is absurd that most of our African leaders do not want to admit their defeat.All they look up to is to stay in power till death.Jakaya Kikwete should prepare to wrap up his leadership and let others take on.