Julius Nyerere’s party in tight race to keep power

Tanzania

KAMPALA, (AP) -- Tanzanians vote today in an election that could end the dominance of the ruling party, which has held power for decades but faces a united opposition buoyed by growing discontent over official corruption.

The apparent strength of a united opposition, led by former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, has also fuelled fears of possible violence in a country that has avoided the bloody unrest experienced among its neighbours in Africa's Great Lakes region.

Lowassa defected from the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party earlier this year after it refused to make him its presidential candidate. He captured national attention when he joined the opposition party.

He now heads the four main opposition parties hoping to oust the party of Tanzania's revered founding leader Julius Nyerere.

Lowassa's massive rallies across the country have led some analysts to believe he poses a serious threat to the ruling party, whose grip on power has never before been so seriously threatened.