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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 31 OctOber 2020
Tanzania’s populist leader declared winner of flawed vote

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — widespread irregularities in-
Tanzania's populist Presi- cluding double-voting and
dent John Magufuli has ballot box-seizing by secu-
been declared the over- rity forces or other authori-
whelming winner of a sec- ties.
ond term amid allegations The East African nation is
of widespread election one of Africa's most popu-
fraud, while the ruling party lous countries and fastest-
won enough seats in parlia- growing economies. Ma-
ment to change the consti- gufuli has pointed to the
tution. country's achievement of
The national electoral lower-middle-income sta-
commission late Friday said tus as one reason he de-
Magufuli received 12.5 mil- serves another term.
lion votes, or 84%, while But observers say Tanza-
top opposition candidate nia's reputation for demo-
Tundu Lissu received 1.9 cratic ideals is crumbling,
million, or 13%. Turnout was with Magufuli accused of
roughly 50%, with 14.8 mil- severely stifling dissenting
lion people voting after 29 voices in his first five-year
million registered.The ruling The ruling party CCM presidential candidate Dr. John Magufuli casts his vote at Chamwino in term. Opposition political
Chama Cha Mapinduzi Dodoma Wednesday. Oct. 28, 2020. gatherings were banned
party won parliament seats Associated Press in 2016, the year after he
in 253 of the 261 constitu- polling stations on Wednes- the streets. There was no The vote "marked the most took office. Media outlets
encies announced so far, day, and that at least a immediate comment by significant backsliding in have been targeted. Some
achieving upsets in oppo- dozen people were killed the president. Tanzania's democratic cre- candidates were arrested,
sition strongholds by wide on the eve of the vote in The two main opposition dentials," Tanzania Elec- blocked from campaign-
margins. the semi-autonomous re- parties, Lissu's CHADEMA tions Watch, a group of ing or disqualified ahead of
Some in the ruling party gion of Zanzibar. Internet and ACT Wazalendo, regional experts, said in an the vote.
had called for the presi- and text-messaging servic- planned to to hold a joint assessment released Friday. Concerns of post-election
dency's two-term limit to es slowed dramatically or press conference on Satur- It noted a heavy deploy- violence linger. The ACT
be extended if enough disappeared. day, a spokesman said. ment of military and police Wazalendo presidential
parliament seats could be But electoral commission The United States has said whose conduct created a candidate in Zanzibar was
secured. chair, Semistocles Kaijage, that "irregularities and the "climate of fear." arrested on Thursday for
Lissu has rejected the vote asserted in late Friday's an- overwhelming margins of "The electoral process, so the second time this week
while alleging "widespread nouncement that all the victory raise serious doubts far, falls way below the before being released. An-
irregularities" and called votes were legitimate. about the credibility of the acceptable internation- other ACT Wazalendo offi-
for peaceful demonstra- Large crowds of ruling party results announced." al standards" for holding cial there, Ismail Jussa, was
tions. The opposition asserts supporters who had gath- Few international election free and fair elections, the badly beaten by soldiers
that thousands of observ- ered to watch the election observers were present, un- group said. and hospitalized, the party
ers were turned away from results were celebrating in like in past years. The opposition alleges said.q

Partial lockdown imposed in Belgium, EU's worst-hit country

to an absolute minimum all of us to make sure that week.
of one outside the closest these measures produce a After surpassing the spring
cluster for the next 6 weeks. result." record on Thursday, the
Remote work will be man- The European Center for number of hospital patients
datory. Disease Prevention and in Belgium, a nation of 11.5
Hospitals and experts have Control on Friday ranked million, broke the 6,000-
long complained that Bel- Belgium as the worst affect- mark and stood at 6,187, a
gium's measures were too ed nation in the 27-nation rise of 263 in a day.
lax over the summer, when bloc, with 1,600 cases per "Unfortunately, we cannot
the pandemic eased, and 100,000 people. Hotspots yet see the long-expected
warned recently that unless like Spain and Italy have turnaround in figures," said
there was a drastic lock- less than a third of that to- virologist Steven Van Gu-
down the nation's once- tal, highlighting how acute cht. He said that the true
vaunted health system the crisis is. total of infections is higher
would soon face breaking France, with proportionally than reported because
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo speaks during a point. fewer than half the cases, testing has been reduced
media conference after a government meeting to decide on
new COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 31, 2020. "We are going towards a re- announced a second, for specific categories of
Associated Press inforced confinement with full nationwide lockdown people.
only one goal: avoiding Wednesday. Belgium, how- Patients in intensive care
By RAF CASERT any other in the European that health care services ever, will still allow people units reached 1,057 from
Associated Press Union. collapse," said Prime Minis- to travel to their hotel or 993 the day earlier, and vi-
BUIZINGEN, Belgium (AP) As COVID-19 infections ter Alexander De Croo, as secondary residence, of- rologists have warned that
— Belgium has imposed continued their record rise he announced the mea- ten on the coast or in the unless tougher measures
a partial lockdown in a on Friday, the government sures. "It is now in our hands, verdant Ardennes hills. The have a quick impact the
new bid to gain control moved to restrict travel it is in your hands. These one-week school vacation saturation point of 2,000
of the pandemic that has and shopping. Family con- really are the last-chance which started Friday will patients will be reached on
hit the country worse than tact will also be reduced measures and it is up to be extended for an extra Nov. 6.q