Opposition candidate Salum Mwalimu concludes rally in Dar es Salaam

As Tanzania's election campaign concluded Monday, opposition candidate Salum Mwalimu held his final rally, emerging as the primary challenger to President Samia Suluhu Hassan in a vote overshadowed by the exclusion of major rivals and an intensifying government crackdown.

With the disqualification and imprisonment of prominent opposition leaders, Salum Mwalimu of the CHAUMMA party has become the de facto main opponent to the long-ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

His final rally in Dar es Salaam featured impassioned calls to vote against the "poverty" and "unemployment" brought by CCM policies.

However, he is one of 16 candidates facing President Hassan, with critics noting that many on the ballot have not campaigned actively.

A legacy of dominant-party rule

The CCM, in various forms, has held power since Tanzania's independence in 1961.

The party now stands out in a region where other liberation movements are losing ground, maintaining control in a nation with a $1,200 annual per capita income despite growing calls for reform from a younger generation.

Crackdown and low turnout fears

The lead-up to the vote has been marked by what Amnesty International terms a "climate of fear," with authorities cracking down on opposition leaders, journalists, and civic groups.

Key rival Tundu Lissu is imprisoned on treason charges, and his deputy was recently arrested.

This political climate, coupled with voter disillusionment, has led to predictions of low turnout and raised fears of potential unrest after the opposition called for election-day protests.