Tanzania Poll: John Magufuli Of CCM Defeats Edward Lowassa

John Magufuli is known as "The Bulldozer"

Tanzania's governing CCM party candidate John Magufuli has won the presidential election with 58% of the vote, the electoral commission says. His main rival Edward Lowassa has rejected the official results that gave him 40% of the ballots cast.

The opposition Ukawa coalition candidate earlier claimed he had won with 62% of the vote.

The elections on Sunday were the most fierce the governing party faced after 54 years in power.

John Magufuli, CCM: 8,882,935 votes - 58.46%

Edward Lowassa, Ukawa: 6,072,848 votes - 39.97%

Meanwhile Mr Magufuli's supporters have been celebrating on the streets of the main city Dar es Salaam

Tanzania's next president: John Magufuli

• Aged 55, currently works minister

• Nicknamed "The Bulldozer" for driving a programme to build roads across the country

• Has promised change and to improve on the pace of progress laid down by the previous CCM government

• Pledged to end power shortages and exploit Tanzania's natural gas discoveries

• "My government will put emphasis on fighting corruption, job creation and industrialization," he said before the vote