Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli has come out boldly stating that democracy and freedom have limits, in a message directed at opposition leaders.
Speaking on Friday, the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) leader who won the latest elections by 84 percent said the two should bring development but not chaos.
“Freedom, rights and democracy go with responsibility and each has limits. I hope I’m well understood.”
This comes days after his main competitor, Tundu Lissu fled the East African country for Belgium following the elections that were marred with allegations of fraud.
Lissu left the country on Tuesday after being arrested shortly after Magufuli was announced the winner.
He told the BBC that death threats forced him to flee his motherland.
He narrated that the government withdrew his security after the October poll and thereafter received a call from unknown people who threatened to take his life.
“I was called by people who said that an order for them to deal with me once and for all – as they put it – was out and therefore they advised me to run for my dear life, and that’s what I did,” he said.
According to the former Singida Member of Parliament, he took the threats seriously after he survived an assassination attempt in 2017.
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“They did not identify themselves but clearly they made me understand that they were from the intelligence and security apparatus,” he added.
Days before Lissu left the country, Chadema party leader Godbless Lema fled to Kenya.
Lema was arrested after entering Kenya through the porous Namanga Border. He was later given asylum.
Magufuli has promised to grow the Tanzanian economy and infrastructure.
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