Opposition presidential candidate and secretary general of the Civic
United Front Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad holds a press conference after the
semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago annulled elections held on October
28, 2015. Zanzibar presidential elections results were annulled,
sparking tension on the islands. The elections will be repeated on March
20, 2016. PHOTO | TONY KARUMBA | AFP
ZANZIBAR
Zanzibar’s election
commission said on Friday new presidential polls for Tanzania’s
semi-autonomous islands will be held on March 20, after last year’s were
scrapped for alleged irregularities.
“Preparations for
the fresh elections are going on. I appeal for patience, and the
observation of election laws,” Zanzibar Election Commission (ZEC)
Chairman Mr Jecha Salim Jecha said in a statement after announcing the
date of the rerun. Security was boosted on the Indian Ocean archipelago
before the announcement, an AFP reporter on the main island said.
Zanzibar
has experienced sectarian and political tensions in recent years —
including recent grenade explosions — with the unrest affecting the
islands’ key tourist industry.
ELECTIONS SCRAPPED
The October 25 elections were scrapped after ZEC reported “violations of electoral law”, claims dismissed by the opposition.
The
annulment came after a key candidate, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad of the
opposition Civic United Front (CUF), declared himself the winner before
the results were officially announced.
CUF spokesman Mr
Nassor Mazrui on Friday criticised the new polls and said the party
would meet to deliberate if they would take part.
“It
is an unfair move,” Mazrui said. “We oppose fresh polls, but since they
have forced it, we have to meet and review our position.”
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