Tanzania could have its first female president in Vice President Samia Suluhu following the death of President John Magufuli on Wednesday.
Ms Suluhu is expected to be sworn within the next 24 hours.
According to the law, she will not be acting president, but will take over full powers as head of state and can appoint her own cabinet and even change some of Dr Magufuli’s policies.
The Tanzanian Constitution Article 37(5) says when “the Office of the 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 the 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 conditions set in Article 40.”
After she is sworn in, Ms Suluhu will become the second female head of state in East Africa after Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi, and the third in the wider eastern Africa region after Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde whose post is ceremonial. Ms Kinigi was the acting President in Burundi between October 1993 and February 1994, while Ms Zewde has been president since October 2018.
Ms Suluhu will also be the first Zanzibari since Ali Hassan Mwinyi to lead the United Republic.
Source: theeastafrican
