DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's incumbent president Samia Suluhu Hassan officially collected her presidential nomination forms from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, marking the start of her bid for the presidency in the Oct. 29 general elections.
Arriving at INEC headquarters in the national capital of Dodoma, Hassan, candidate of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, was accompanied by her running mate, CCM Secretary General Emmanuel Nchimbi, and a jubilant convoy of party leaders and supporters.
Speaking later at CCM headquarters during a reception ceremony, Hassan declared the campaign season officially underway.
"If this were a football match, the whistle has been blown and the game is about to begin," she said. "We launch our campaign on Aug. 28, close it on Oct. 28, and then await the people's verdict."
Expressing gratitude to CCM for its continued trust, Hassan highlighted the government's achievements from 2021 to 2025 and pledged transformative reforms in the next term.
She called on Tanzanians to vote for a party committed to building a prosperous, just, and self-reliant nation. ■
