{Clerics have called for peace as political uncertainty looms over the Isles following a standoff involving the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), CCM leaders and Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate Seif Sharif Hamad over the nullification of the general election here.}
The clerics held a meeting on Monday with Mr Hamad, asking him to play a vital role in preventing his party’s members and supporters from engaging in acts of disobedience, including holding demonstrations.
“We asked Mr Seif to show maximum tolerance at this period when a solution to the political crisis that emerged after the nullification of the elections is being sought. Both parties should place the interest of the nation above all other things,” reads a joint communiqué issued by the Secretary of the Mufti’s Office, Sheikh Fadhili Soraga.
According to the statement, the clerics, who attended the meeting with Mr Hamad, who is also Zanzibar First Vice-President, were Mufti of Zanzibar, Sheikh Saleh Omar Kabi, Archbishop Augustine Shao of the Zanzibar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Michael Hafidh of the Zanzibar Diocese of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Sheikh Norman Jongo from the Interfaith Committee and several priests from other Christian denominations.
Sheikh Soraga told reporters that Mr Seif had been positive in his response as the religious leaders also plan to meet Zanzibar’s Second Vice-President, Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi, in their effort to water down tension and promote dialogue.
Meanwhile, Mr Hamad has written to the union President Jakaya Kikwete asking for a meeting with the outgoing top leader to discuss political crisis in the Islands before he leaves office this week.
“We have welcomed Dr Kikwete’s permission to meet the Chief of Defence Forces, General Davis Mwamunyange, to discuss the army’s role in Zanzibar politics; we have also written to the president, seeking a meeting,” the CUF Director of Communications, Mr Ismail Jussa Ladhu, said in a press statement.
In a separate press conference, the CUF Youth wing (JUVICUF) has logged fresh calls to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) to resume announcing of elections results for the October 25 polls, saying it was the best way to move on. “We have an unnecessary political stalemate. It is easy to get out of this situation if we really need to move on. Laws and constitution have been violated.
But we can still go back to our laws,” said Mr Mahmoud Mahinda, Executive Secretary of the JIVICUF at the press conference. He blamed their CCM counterparts, UVCCM, for “deliberate distortion of the motion under discussion.
We are discussing the issue of nullification of the elections previously termed to be free and fair by respective authorities, including ZEC,” he observed.
Mr Mahinda said that the spirit shown in the Government of National Unity (GNU) can help us get out of the political stalemate “so that we get back to work. We need serious commitment from all political leaders.
We call for patience,” he added. In another development, many residents here have started complaining about the rising cost of living caused by an abrupt increase in the price of food and other essentials following security measures instituted by the government to check post-poll trouble making.
In most of the areas, life has returned to normal as police and other security agents continue patrolling the streets of this municipality that also serves as the seat of the Zanzibar Government.
The Zanzibar Commissioner of Police, Mr Hamdan Omar Makame, had on Sunday warned that any troublemakers would not be tolerated. “Life has been returning to normal.
But the biggest challenge is the biting prices. For example, the price of Irish potatoes and onions increased from 1,000/- to 2,500/- a kilo and above,” lamented Ms Fat-hiya Omar at Darajani Market. The most recent inflation figures showed the consumer price index had grown by a relatively high percentage in the past week after the October 25 elections.
The polls have since been nullified by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC). An economist, Dr Mohamed Hafidh, told the ‘Daily News’ that people have started to be hit by the increase in the price of essential commodities.
“Some traders are afraid to import and sell goods, which has led to the shortage of commodities as well as creating a loophole for dishonest traders to hike prices,” he said as the government responded by assuring the people of all-round security.
The Minister of State in the Office of the Zanzibar Second-President, Mr Mohamed Aboud, said that people in Zanzibar, including traders, should continue with their normal activities and provide services to the people.
Zanzibar still relies on food items, especially vegetables, from Tanzania mainland. Meanwhile, the security situation here has not been stable since Tuesday last week when the polls were invalidated.
ZEC annulled polls in the Isles, citing “massive irregularities and violation of the electoral code of conduct,” the situation which has created confrontation between CUF, which is the main Isles opposition party and the election management body.
DAILY NEWS
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