MONITORING DESK
ISLAMABAD: in an overture to political rivals seeking the restoration of democratic traditions, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan ended Tuesday a ban on rallies by the opposition that was imposed in 2016 by her autocratic predecessor.
Hassan had been facing pressure to break with the strongman policies of John Magufuli, who died in 2021.
Magufuli, nicknamed “Bulldozer” had come to power in 2015 as a no-nonsense man who worked in the interest of the people but launched a sustained crackdown on political freedoms and dissent.
Ban targeted political rallies by opposition
Magufuli had imposed a ban on political rallies, claiming it was time for work instead of politics.
According to critics, the ban had applied only to opposition groups while the ruling party was free to assemble. At the same time, police used to violently break up rival gatherings.
At a gathering where political leaders had been invited by the government, Hasan announced that gatherings of political parties were right for all. She urged politicians to practice civilized politics while stressing it was the government’s responsibility to ensure security at rallies.
