MADAM PRESIDENT – TANZANIA AND EAST AFRICA GET FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan was on Wednesday 17th March, 2021 sworn in as Tanzania’s 6th President and will lead the country for the unexpired term of Late President John Pombe Magufuli until 2025.
The deceased President had just been re-elected in November last year, with her as a running mate.
Suhulu Hassan 61, has made history twice, being Tanzania’s first female Vice President and now its first female President.
ARTICLE 37 OF TANZANIA’S CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 37 (5) Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, loss of electoral qualifications or inability to perform his functions due to physical infirmity, or failure to discharge the duties and functions of the office of President, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the term of five years and in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 40, and, after consultation with the political party to which he belongs, the President shall propose the name of the person who shall be Vice-President and such appointment shall be confirmed by the National Assembly by votes of not less than fifty percentum of all the Members of Parliament.
ARTICLE 40 OF TANZANIA’S CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 40.
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Article, any person who holds office as President shall be eligible for re-election to that office.
(2) No person shall be elected more than twice to hold the office of President.
(3) A person who has been President of Zanzibar shall not be disqualified
from being elected President of the United Republic for the reason only for he has
once held office as President of Zanzibar.
(4) Where the Vice-President holds the office of President in accordance with the provisions of Article 37(5) for less than three years, he shall be eligible to contest for the office of President for two terms, but where he occupies the office of President for three years or more, he shall be eligible to contest for the office of
President for one term only.