Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has urged Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu to conduct a deep personal reflection on the ongoing situation in Tanzania following reports of post-election violence.
In a statement on Saturday, November 1, Owino asserted that imposing restrictions, such as curfews and internet blackouts, during this period would only exacerbate the situation.
Owino warned that if urgent action is not taken, Tanzania might find itself under military dictatorship or authoritarian rule.
"We must look across the continent and learn from examples of nations that took their democracy for granted, only to find themselves under the yoke of military dictatorship or authoritarian rule," Owino said.
"This is not the Tanzania we know. Reports of post-election violence, deaths counted in the hundreds, curfews imposed on citizens, and internet blackouts: these are measures that have no place in the modern world," he added.
The lawmaker, who cautioned Suluhu against treating leadership as a personal entitlement, said that the ongoing violence could be the beginning of the end of the democracy Tanzania has enjoyed for years, and "once lost, is not easily regained."
Leaders across the continent are to ensure that they prioritise the interests and freedoms of their citizens above their political ambitions, according to Owino.
"Leadership is not a birthright. No one is born to rule. It should never be treated as a matter of life and death. There is no honour in forcing oneself upon a people unwilling or unready to be led," he said.
On Saturday, November 2, the Tanzanian Electoral Commission announced Samia Suluhu as the President-elect of Tanzania amid widespread protests in several places across the East African Nation.
Protesters accused the government of undermining democracy after the main opposition candidates, including Tundu Lissu, were excluded from the ballot.
The commission revealed that Suluhu recorded 31.9 million votes, representing 97.66 per cent of the total votes cast.
Her closest competitor got 213,414 votes, representing 0.65 per cent of the votes cast. In total, the registered voters were 37 million.
