The letter from Tanzanian. 29.Oct.'95



I read reports about Tanzania's President election on 29.Oct.'95(Sun) onGemini News Service reports writen by ZEPHANIA UBWANI, LAWI JOELand GLYN ROBERTS in Dar es Salaam .
I talked with friends in Zanzibar ,26(thu)Oct,95. He said
In Zanzibar perlament election
CUF gets 23seets(Pemba 21+Unguja2) CCM gets 26 seets(Pemba 0+ Unguja 26) We can say why CUF could get only 2 seets in Unguja ? I cannot believe this conclution. *Unguja Island+ Pemba Island = Zanzibar,
and Radio Zanzibar (ran by CCM or Zanzibar government)said BBC and another foreign journalists inform CUF ( Mr.Seif Shariff Hamad )won in Zanziar's President election. They can't say simply they could not win . But People know CUF gets right and win . But I think It's no good condition for Zanzibar, I'm only afraid this condition going like Dec.1963 before Zanzibar revolution or coup d'etat.
I get new E-mail,23(mon)Oct,95,fromTanzanian overseas.
AN OCEAN ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP ZANZIBAR, VOTERS WILL GO TO THE POLLS TO ELECT THEIR OWN PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT. A WEEK LATER, ON OCTOBER 29TH, THEY WILL JOIN VOTERS ON THE TANZANIAN MAINLAND TO CHOOSE A PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT FOR THEIR UNITED REPUBLIC. THESE ARE THE FIRST MULTI-PARTY ELECTIONS IN THE 31-YEAR-OLD POST-INDEPENDENCE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY. AND V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ALEX BELIDA REPORTS FROM ZANZIBAR TOWN THAT OBSERVERS ARE PREDICTING A CLOSE CONTEST ON ZANZIBAR BETWEEN CANDIDATES OF THE RULING (C-C-M) PARTY AND THOSE BACKING THE OPPOSITION (C-U-F). TEXT: UNDER A LARGE SHADY TREE ON THE GROUNDS OF THE VICTORIA GARDENS MEDICAL CLINIC IN ZANZIBAR'S HISTORIC STONE TOWN, A JUDGE FOR THE ISLAND'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION IS HEARING HUNDREDS OF LAST-MINUTE VOTER REGISTRATION CASES. IT IS A PAINSTAKINGLY SLOW AND FRUSTRATING PROCESS -- ESPECIALLY FOR OFFICIALS OF THE OPPOSITION C-U-F, OR CIVIC UNITED FRONT, PARTY. THEY CLAIM THAT IN RECENT DAYS, OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN LODGED AGAINST THE REGISTRATION OF MORE THAN THREE-THOUSAND OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY'S SUPPORTERS. THEY CHARGE VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE OBJECTIONS, MADE BY BACKERS OF THE RULING C-C-M, OR CHAMA CHA MAPINDUZI PARTY, ARE BASELESS. STILL, THEY BELIEVE IT WILL BE PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO RULE ON ALL THE CASES BEFORE THE VOTING GETS UNDER WAY ON SUNDAY. TO THAT EXTENT, THE OPPOSITION SAYS THE LAST-MINUTE OBJECTIONS HAVE NOT ONLY BEEN MALICIOUS BUT ALSO EFFECTIVE. THEY SAY IT COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN A CLOSE CONTEST. C-U-F PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SELF SHARIFF HAMAD ESTIMATES THAT WHILE 350-THOUSAND OR SO VOTERS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED ON ZANZIBAR, WHICH CONSISTS OF THE ISLANDS OF UNGUJA AND PEMBA AND VARIOUS SMALL ISLETS, SOME 25 THOUSAND RESIDENTS TOTAL HAVE BEEN WRONGLY DENIED THE RIGHT TO CAST BALLOTS. MR. HAMAD CLAIMS THAT BESIDES REGISTRATION AND OTHER ELECTORAL IRREGULARITIES, OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION. HE CHARGES THE RULING C-C-M PARTY AND INCUMBENT ZANZIBAR PRESIDENT SALMIN AMOUR HAVE NOT BEEN SINCERE IN THEIR PROFESSED ACCEPTANCE OF MULTI-PARTYISM. DESPITE ALL THIS, THE OPPOSITION CONTENDER SAYS HE REMAINS HOPEFUL THAT HIS PARTY STILL CAN WIN SUNDAY'S VOTE. EVEN IF IT DOES NOT WIN, HE SAYS IT WILL ABIDE BY THE RESULTS. THAT CALM ACCEPTANCE OF THE CIVIC UNITED FRONT'S FATE IN THE FACE OF ITS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS HAS AMAZED SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS GATHERED IN ZANZIBAR THIS WEEK. THEY SAY IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR AN OPPOSITION PARTY IN AFRICA TO LODGE PROTESTS OVER IRREGULARITIES IN A COUNTRY'S FIRST MULTI-PARTY ELECTIONS. WHAT IS UNUSUAL, THEY SAY, IS THE CONSTRUCTIVE AND CONCILIATORY APPROACH BEING VOICED BY ZANZABARI POLITICIANS LIKE MR. HAMAD. AND THEY SAY IT GIVES THEM HOPE FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY HERE. STILL, THERE ARE FEARS OF POSSIBLE VIOLENCE ONCE THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED. FRUSTRATED OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS BARRED FROM VOTING MAY TAKE TO THE STREETS IN PROTEST OVER THE OUTCOME IF THE C-U-F LOSES. OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS BELIEVE THERE COULD BE EVEN BIGGER TROUBLE IF THEIR PARTY WINS, ENDING THE C-C-M'S LONG MONOPOLY ON POWER. ZANZIBAR HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. EARLIER THIS WEEK, POLICE TEAR GASSED AN OPPOSITION RALLY ON PEMBA ISLAND, CAUSING A STAMPEDE THAT LEFT MORE THAN TWO-DOZEN PEOPLE INJURED. THE C-C-M IS ASKING FOR A FRESH MANDATE LARGELY ON THE BASIS OF ITS LONG YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT. THE C-U-F SAYS THAT IT IS TIME FOR NEW FACES WHO WILL FIGHT CORRUPTION WHILE WORKING FOR THE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION OF ZANZIBAR AND DEFENDING ITS SEMI-AUTONOMOUS STATUS. (SIGNED) NEB/BEL/JWH/MMK 20-Oct-95 8:22 AM EDT (1222 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America
(in Kiswahili,23.10.95)

Wakati wazanzibari wanajiandaa kwenda kwenye vituo vya kupigia kura kesho,jumapili,mgombea wa urais wa Zanzibar kwa ticketi ya CUF bwana Seif Sharif Hamad;aliambia waandishi wa habari waliohojiana naye katika hoteli ya Bwawani mjini hapa,kwamba atayakubali matokeo ya aina yoyote ya uchaguzi.Bwana Seif aliongeza kwamba kufanyika kwa chaguzi huru na haki ndiko kutasaidia kukubalika kwa matokeo bila kuleta ulalamishi mkubwa.Kwa bahati mbaya mgombea wa nafasi hiyo kwa ticketi ya chama cha CCM Ndugu Salmin Amour hakuweza kukutana na waandishi wa habari kwa mahojiano tangu harakati za kampeni zianze mwezi uliopita,hakuna sababu za msingi zilizotolewa na kamati ya ke ya kampeni. Mahkama kuu ya Zanzibar jana ilitupilia mbali amri iliotolewa na wizara ya elimu,zanzibar ya kuwasimamisha wanafunzi 177 wa chuo cha ufundi mbweni kwa madai ya kuandama hadi tume ya uchaguzi,kudai kuandikishwa mwezi uliopita baada ya kunyimwa kuandikishwa.Jaji wa mahkama hiyo bwana lawrence Kanonyele alisema kuwa hatua hiyo iliyochukuliwa na wizara ya elimu,ni kinyume na sheria ya mwaka wa 1982,ambayo haitoi mamlaka kwa wizara kumsimamisha mwanafunzi yoyote.wanafunzi hao ambao wengi ni kutoka kisiwa cha pemba,kwa hatua hiyo ya mahkama,watarejeshwa chuoni,lakini haikufahamika ni lini watarejeshwa na kama wataruhusiwa kupiga kura.Wanafunzi wengi hasa kutoka kisiwa cha Pemba ambao wanasoma Unguja,inasemekana walinyimwa haki yao ya kujiandikisha kupiga kura,bila sababu za msingi na kutokana na mtizamo wa kuwa wapemba wengi ni wafuasi wazuri wa chama cha CUF. Wafuasi wa vyama vya siasa vyenye ushindani mkali hapa Zanzibar-CCM na CUF wameendelea kutupiana lawama,juu ya vitendo vinavyotokea mitaani.mwanzoni mwa wiki hii,mabanda katika eneo la Fuoni yalichomwa moto na watu wasiojulikana;na katika kijiji cha donge kuna mtu mmoja alipeleka malalamiko yake kwa sheha kuwa jirani yake ambaye ni mwanachama wa CUF,anakunya mlangoni pake kila siku kwa nia ya kumkomoa kwa vile yeye ni mfuasi wa CCM.Kila upande unashutumu upande mwingine kwa utovu wa adabu,lakini ni vigumu kutabiri mambo yatakavyokuwa baada ya uchaguzi kwa upande utakaoshindwa. Mbali na kushutmiwa kuwa ni mtu mwenye siasa kali za kidini,Mgombea wa urais wa Muungano kwa ticketi ya CUF prof.Ibrahim Lipumba ameshutmiwa kwa kutokuwa na mke na kuishi maisha ya ukapera,prof.Ibrahim baada ya kuandamwa sana na magazeti inasemekana kaamuwa kufunga ndoa juzi na mkristo(Georgina).hadi sasa Ibrahim haja zungumzia shutma hizo. Tunajitarisha kwa kupokea matokeo ya uchaguzi kuanzia jumapili usiku.

FEATURES AFRICA NETWORK, NAIROBI NEWS BULLETIN, OCTOBER 20, 1995. EAST AFRICAN BRIEFS TANZANIA NCCR-MAGEUZI DENOUNCES UJAMAA VILLAGES The NCCR-Mageuzi presidential candidates' running mate, Sultan Ahmed Sultan, has told a rally in Mtwara that if the party wins the elections, it will do away with the Ujamaa collective villages. He said this is what created poverty in Tanzania by nationalising all means of production and denying people avenues for economic progress. He also said an NCCR-Mageuzi government will completely liberalise commerce and increase civil servants pay to beat rampant corruption in the country. NCCR CALLS FOR PEACE IN CAMPAIGN The NCCR national campaign manager Professor Mwesigye Baregu has appealed to all political parties to maintain peace in the short period of electioneering left. He denounced leaders who have a tendency to break off into angry diatribes against others at rallies as threatening peace. Baregu also called on the public media to ensure they give equal time to each of the presidential candidates. They should also help to educate voters so that the election is held successfully. Meanwhile the NCCR-Mageuzi presidential candidate is today campaigning in Zanzibar for the CUF candidate Shariff Hamad who's contesting for the Zanzibar presidency in the Sunday polls. UDP CALLS FOR NATIONAL UNITY GOVT The UDP presidential candidate, John Cheyo, has told rallies in Singida that if elected, he will form a government of national unity. He said there will be no vindictiveness. Cheyo pledged to create employment and an enabling environment for commerce, farming and industry.[C] 1995, Features Africa Network All rights reserved Distributed by Karisi Communications, Inc and Karisi Communications (Kenya) Ltd. May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service without permission from Features Africa Network of Karisi Communications (Kenya) Ltd or Karisi Communications, Inc. For more information send a message to info@afrique. com or info@karisi.co.ke or call +1-617-666-9559. Back issues and news from other countries are available on the World Wide Web, at Africa Online(SM) News Stand http://www.AfricaOnline.Com.
INTRO: VOTERS ON THE INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS OF ZANZIBAR CAST BALLOTS FOR PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT SUNDAY AS PART OF THE FIRST MULTI-PARTY ELECTIONS IN THE POST-INDEPENDENCE HISTORY OF TANZANIA. V-O-A EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT ALEX BELIDA IS IN ZANZIBAR TOWN AND HAS THIS REPORT. TEXT: VOTERS BEGAN GATHERING OUTSIDE POLLING STATIONS BEFORE DAWN TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS. DESPITE TORRENTIAL RAINS, LONG LINES SOON FORMED, SEPARATE ONES FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN KEEPING WITH THE ISLANDS' PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM TRADITIONS. THE BALLOT CASTING PROCESS WAS DESCRIBED BY ELECTION MONITORS AS TEDIOUS AND SLOW. VOTERS REMAINED QUIET AND ORDERLY AND NO INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED. OFFICIALS PROMISED ANYONE IN LINE WHEN THE POLLS FORMALLY CLOSED WOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE. AMONG THE EARLY VOTERS WERE THE MAIN ZANZIBARI PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, RULING CHAMA CHA MAPINDUZI PARTY CONTENDER AND INCUMBENT PRESIDENT SALMIN AMOUR AND RIVAL CIVIC UNITED FRONT CANDIDATE SELF SHARIFF HAMAD. BOTH SOUNDED CONFIDENT NOTES ABOUT THEIR PROSPECTS FOR WINNING THE HISTORIC ELECTION. BUT MOST ANALYSTS WERE PREDICTING A CLOSE CONTEST. RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY. (SIGNED) NEB/BEL/DW/RAE 22-Oct-95 9:30 AM EDT (1330 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America

ZANZIBAR, Oct 22 (Reuter) - Zanzibar voted for the Indian Ocean islands' president and parliament on Sunday in the dress rehearsal for pluralist elections that end three decades of single-party rule in Tanzania. Voting began on schedule early on Sunday and international human rights observers at the polls reported no incidents. There was rain across the islands and a major power cut, which posed the only threat to smooth elections. The elections are for president, parliament and local councils but officials said local council polls in some places had been cancelled because of an under-supply of ballot papers that were printed in South Africa. On Saturday, leaders of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, Revolutionary Party) and its challenger, the Civic United Front (CUF), held final and peaceful campaign rallies at which they appealed for calm and vowed to accept the election results. Also on Saturday, Tanzanian President Ali Hassan Mwinyi urged Zanzibaris to ``vote wisely'' and added the islanders had a rare constitutional opportunity to elect or reject leaders. ``Your government has made adequate preparations for the elections to succeed. For example, we have constitutionally strengthened the right and ability of the citizens to vote their leaders into and out of power. But that is not enough by itself,'' Mwinyi said in a recorded broadcast on Radio Tanzania. ``The citizens must themselves decide to make use of this right and opportunity that has been made available to them. Therefore, I urge all my brothers from Zanzibar who have registered as voters to come out in large numbers and cast votes,'' added Mwinyi, himself a Zanzibari. ``In the past, there was only one party and therefore people voted for an individual and not a party. You will have a new and unprecedented opportunity because you will vote for a party on the basis of how good its policies are and for an individual on the basis of how competent he is to lead.'' On Saturday, CUF leader Seif Shariff Hamad treated his audience to a catalogue of complaints against the ruling party, while the CCM leader, incumbent President Salmin Amour, celebrated three decades in power with his followers. More than 350,000 people, 96 per cent of those eligible, have registered to vote on the two islands of Pemba and Unguja. They will cast their verdict on a government record defended by Amour and attacked by Hamad, a former chief minister who cast himself in the role of the CCM'S main critic.


I get a letter yesterday(16.Oct. '95). Now, he lives in Europe. But, he knows political conditions in Zanzibar very well.
The elections in Zanzibar are to be held on Sunday Oct 22,1995, just seven days from today!
There were complaints aired by the CUF (Civic United Front) leaders against the election rigging conspiracy of the ruling CCM.
CUF leaders allege that several cartons of ballot papers that are to be used in election rigging are now stored in special rooms at Wete, Chake Chake, and Mkoani hotels, closely guarded by the security forces. Room service in those rooms is prohibited.
CUF has called upon the international observers and monitors to check upon the malpractices of the ruling CCM that may mar the election results and give rise to chaos.
CUF leaders also allege that CCM is planning to use retired army officers to disrupt peace once the election results are announced that CCM has been defeated.
The situation in Zanzibar is otherwise calm, and everybody is looking forward for the D-DAY!

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