Tanzania elections 2020: Internet dey restricted as John Magufuli face Tundu Lissu

Internet users across Tanzania dey report say some sites, including WhatsApp and Twitter, don dey restricted as millions of pipo inside di kontri wan vote for dia general election.

Also reports of violence dey fly upandan and anoda report wey say police arrest one opposition leader inside di semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar.

Voters get until 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) to cast dia ballots and di kontri dey expect results within one week.

President John Magufuli, wey im Chama Cha Mapenduzi (CCM) party don rule Tanzania for decades, wan run for second term inside office.

Im main challenger na Tundu Lissu of di biggest opposition party, Chadema, wey survive one assassination attempt three years ago. E return from Belgium for July wia im go do treatment for gunshot wounds.

In all, 15 candidates na im dey run for president - including former foreign minister Bernard Membe, one ex-colleague-wey later turn-critic of Mr Magufuli wey defect from di ruling party.

Wetin dey happun with di internet?

Twitter warn on Tuesday say dem dey "see some blocking and throttling" of dia services inside Tanzania ahead of Wednesday electiona and dem beg for di respect of "basic human rights".

Internet users across di kontri also don report difficulties as dem dey try to download photos or videos on WhatsApp.

Tanzanian authorities neva address di internet restrictions palava, and di kontri regulatory body neva respond to BBC request for comment.

Who be John Magufuli?

President Magufuli don style imself as strong African nationalist and strong Catholic wey dey fight war against foreign powers wey wan come exploit Tanzania.

Pipo don praise am for pushing through big infrastructure projects while those wey dey criticize am say e don comot freedom of expression.

E no impose lockdown to control di spread of coronavirus and later tok say God don spare Tanzania of di virus.

Who be Tundu Lissu?

Oga Lissu of di biggest opposition party, Chadema, wey survive one assassination attempt three years ago,na somebody wey dem expect to be di strongest opposition challenger.

E return from Belgium for July wia e for pass through rounds of treatment for gunshot wounds.

BBC tori pesin, Athuman Mtulya inside Dar es Salaam tok say both oga Magufuli and oga Lissu don draw huge crowds during dia campaigns.

However dem suspend oga Lissu campaign for seven days afta di electoral commission accuse am of sedition. Report say im tok say oga Magufuli dey plan to rig di elections, but di commission tok say no such attempt happun.

Under Tanzania electoral rules, di winning candidate require simple majority to become president.

Some 29.1 million pipo na im dey registered to vote for Wednesday general election - six million more than di before election for 2015.

Dem include residents of di semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar wey vote for di islands leaders - including di election of one Zanzibari president - plus also for Tanzania national election.

Wetin dey happun for Zanzibar?

Unlike for mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar main opposition party na ACT Wazalendo. Security arrest dia leader for one polling station on Tuesday morning and later release am according to multiple reports.

But police neva comment on Maalim Seif Sharif reported arrest, and dem don also deny reports wey say officers shot three pipo die for di island of Pemba on Monday.

Zanzibar get history of contested election, including for 2015 wen dem cancel poll sake of say e no dey free and fair. Di opposition no gree take part for ddi re-run and di ruling CCM party candidate na im dem come declare di winner.