securing another term in office amid days of unrest across the country. According to the electoral commission, Samia won 98% of the votes, nearly sweeping the 32 million ballots cast in Wednesday's election.

 International observers have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and widespread turmoil that has reportedly left hundreds people dead and hundreds injured. The nationwide internet shutdown is making it difficult to verify the death toll. The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence - and authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the unrest.

"I hereby announce Samia Suluhu Hassan as the winner of the presidential election under the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party," Jacobs Mwambegele, the electoral chief, said while announcing the results on Saturday morning. Samia secured about 31.9 million votes, or 97.66% of the total, with turnout nearing 87% of the country's 37.6 million registered voters, the electoral chief said.

In Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar - which elects its own government and leader - CCM's Hussein Mwinyi, who is the incumbent president, won with nearly 80% of the vote. The opposition in Zanzibar said there had been "massive fraud", the AP news agency reported. Mwinyi's swearing-in ceremony is under way at Amaan Complex stadium in Zanzibar. (BBC)