Arthur Greene
President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan met with opposition leader Tundu Lissu on Wednesday, bringing hope that relations between government and opposition are improving.
Lissu, who is the Deputy Chairman of the main opposition party Chadema and its 2020 Presidential candidate, met with President Samia in Brussels, Belgium to discuss a range of issues.
“During their talks the two discussed various issues of interest to the welfare of the United Republic of Tanzania,” read a statement released by Director of Presidential Communications Zuhura Yunus.
The meeting was the first since Samia became president a year ago after President John Magufuli died of Covid.
Lissu fled Tanzania after being shot 17 times in an assaination attempt during Magufuli’s regime.
After spending years recovering in Kenya and Belgium, he returned to Tanzania to challenge Magufuli in the 2020 elections.
Magufuli won, but his victory was marred by state violence, accusations of vote rigging and voter intimidation and shortly afterwards Lissu fled back into exile.
President Samia received international praise this week after she unbanned four newspapers that had been outlawed by Magufuli.
New publishing licenses have been issued to Mawio, Mwanahalisi, Mseto and Tanzania Daima following President Samia’s promise to uphold freedom of the press after Magufuli spent years stifling it.
Lissu, who has been skeptical of Samia’s claims of being a reformer, said he believes the meeting could open the way to real change.
“I think it adds pressure on her to deliver on the feel-good factor that this is producing.”
Image source: @kipro_hon
