Tanzania president lifts 6-year ban on opposition rallies

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania’s president has lifted a six-year-ban on opposition rallies imposed by her autocratic predecessor. The move by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Tuesday was cautiously welcomed as a gain for democracy by the main opposition party. The human rights group Amnesty International called it a “welcome step in the right direction.” The ban was introduced in 2016 by political strongman John Magufuli. The current president said political parties have a right to hold meetings and that the government’s duty is to “give permission and provide security.” President Hassan is serving out Magufuli’s term after he died in 2021. She has been accused of continuing her predecessor’s anti-democratic policies.