**Tanzania Forms Inquiry Commission to Probe Election Protest Killings**
*DODOMA, Tanzania (AP)* — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on Friday that her administration has established an inquiry commission to investigate the killings that took place during election protests last month. She also revealed that she has ordered the release of some of the youths who were arrested during the unrest.
During her first parliamentary address since the election, President Hassan explained that the commission’s mandate is to examine the circumstances that led to the unrest and provide insights to support the government’s reconciliation and peace efforts.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, had previously called for an investigation into the killings as well as the alleged concealment of evidence related to the incidents.
The protests began on election day, October 29, when young people demonstrated against the exclusion of presidential candidates from the two main opposition parties. President Hassan was declared the winner with more than 97% of the total votes.
During the three days of protests, hundreds of people were arrested, with some facing treason charges. Addressing these arrests, President Hassan said, “As a mother, I have forgiven those who may have joined the protests out of peer pressure.” She added, “For those who were just following the wave, let them be counselled and released.”
Acknowledging the demands from the opposition party Chadema, President Hassan emphasized the importance of constitutional reforms as a prerequisite for meaningful dialogue and reconciliation. She pledged that her administration would initiate a constitutional reform process within its first 100 days.
Chadema had been calling for electoral reforms before the polls and was subsequently barred from participating in the recent election. The party’s leader, Tundu Lissu, remains imprisoned on treason charges, with his trial yet to resume following the protests. His deputy, John Heche, was arrested on election day and released three weeks later.
The government’s steps toward investigation and reform mark a significant development in addressing the political tensions that have gripped Tanzania in the wake of the recent election.
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