Woman takes the mantle after Magufuli’s death in first for Tanzania
Vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan will take over the presidency for the remainder of Magufuli’s term in accordance with the constitution.
CAPE TOWN, March 18 (ANA) – Vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to become Tanzania’s first woman president and the country’s sixth president, according to local news website Kenyans.co.ke.
John Magufuli’s death marks the first time in Tanzania’s history where a sitting president has died, and according to the country’s constitution, the vice-president will take the seat for the remainder of Magufuli’s term, the BBC reported.
“Article 37 Section 5 of the Tanzanian constitution makes it very clear that when a sitting president dies the vice-president takes over,” research fellow at Denmark’s Roskilde University Dr Thabit Jacob told Democracy In Africa (DIA) via a video interview.
Jacobs believes the transition of power will be smooth “they (Tanzania’s government) don’t want to invite another constitutional crisis”.
Before Hassan officially becomes the president of Tanzania, she needs to acquire a minimum of 50% votes from MPs.
Hassan took on a number of presidential responsibilities while Magufuli was alive, including representing Tanzania in the majority of the country’s international obligations, such as meetings with the UN, African Union, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC), reported Kenyans.co.ke.
Despite being widely cited as the first woman leader in the EAC, Hassan becomes the second after Burundi’s Sylvie Kinigi, who became prime minister in 1993 after Melchior Ndadaye was killed in the 1993 Burundi coup, Reuters reported.
Hassan will join the list of female leaders in Africa, including Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Mauritius’s Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Malawi’s Joyce Banda, Central African Republic’s (CAR) Catherine Samba-Panza and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde.
Jacob believes there will be very little change given the dominant factions.
“For those who are kind of expecting, you know, a breakaway from the Magufuli way of doing things, I will say (don’t) hold your breath.”
Magufuli was re-elected in the country’s October 2020 elections and Hassan is set to serve out his five-year term.
However, according to Tanzania’s legislature, if she remains on as president for more than three years, Hassan will only be able to run for Tanzania’s presidency for one more term, according to the BBC.
Late president John Magufuli died at the age of 61 on Wednesday, March 17.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher