ZEC members call for international mediation
Two commissioners of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission
(ZEC) yesterday called for an
Streets of Zanzibar
Dar es Salaam. Two commissioners of the
Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC)
yesterday called for an international
mediator to resolve the political impasse
in Zanzibar, terming unjustifiable the
decision by ZEC chairman Jecha Salum
Jecha to nullify the Isles’ General
Election and to announce a re-run.
The duo, Mr Ayoub Bakari Hamad and
Mr Nassor Khamis Mohammed,
attributed the simmering political
controversy in the Isles to Mr Jecha’s
decisions.
The ZEC chairman announced on
October 28 last year that the elections
were null and void, citing irregularities
and breach of the Zanzibar Constitution,
citing the move by Civic United Front
(CUF) presidential candidate Seif Shariff
Hamad to announce the results. In his
announcement, Mr Hamad declared
himself winner.
Mr Jecha’s decision drew a hue and cry
from the Opposition and attracted
criticism from several election
monitoring groups and foreign
governments.
Soon after the cancellation, Mr Hamad,
who was backed by the opposition
coalition, Ukawa, claimed that he
garnered 200,077 votes against 178,363
for the incumbent, CCM flag bearer
President Ali Mohammed Shein.
Since then, there have been several
attempts to find a non-violent solution to
the standoff in the Isles even as the ZEC
set March 20 as the date for fresh
elections.
President John Magufuli has on different
occasions met with Mr Hamad—who
doubles as Zanzibar First Vice-President
— and the Zanzibar President Shein, to
explore means of a peaceful resolution
of the deadlock between the two parties,
to no avail.
Yesterday, the ZEC commissioners told
reporters in Dar es Salaam that they
were also against the envisaged re-run of
the elections.
“We call upon the rest of the ZEC
members to ignore the re-run of the
elections because it won’t be in the
national interest to take part in an
exercise that will tarnish the image and
history of Zanzibar,’’ said Mr Nassor
Mohammed.
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