AfricaPress-Tanzania: A GRAND reception awaits Zanzibar’s CCM Presidential candidate Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi who is expected to jet into Pemba tomorrow for a special introductory tour.
Dr Mwinyi was overwhelmingly elected by the National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi on Friday last week in Dodoma under its National Chairman, President John Magufuli.
According to the Regional Commissioner for South Pemba Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdalla, all preparations were complete, adding that CCM members and fans in Pemba were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the highprofile guest.
“Preparations for the grand reception are complete. Streets are already coloured with party flags,” Mr Abdalla informed the ‘Daily News’ on Friday, adding that the event was expected to begin at around 8am.
Dr Mwinyi will be introduced to the residents and CCM fans in Pemba by his host, who is CCM Vice Chairman (Zanzibar) President Ali Mohamed Shein at Tibirinzi ground in Chakechake District.
According to Mr Abdalla, the event is expected to pull a huge crowd. High profile politicians from Pemba and Unguja are expected to attend the event.
Ms Catherine Peter-Secretary (Ideology and Publicity), CCM special committee- Zanzibar) said the hosts are happy with Dr Mwinyi as their candidate in the next elections and all those who competed with him during the primaries have promised to work with him in the campaigns to facilitate his victory.
“Even some of the opposition camp members are happy and hope they will vote for him,” she said as the AD-TADEA Zanzibar Presidential candidate Mr Juma Ali Khatib said his party will work with him if he loses in the elections and if Dr Mwinyi wins.
Other political parties that are finalizing nomination processes of presidential candidates in the Zanzibar presidential race include NCCR-Mageuzi, NRA, CHADEMA, ACT-Wazalendo, Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), Alliance for Farmers Party (AFP), and Civic United Front (CUF).
Dr Mwinyi has promised to pick up from where Dr Shein will end by bringing radical changes and reforms in the Isles.
The outgoing Isles leader, Dr Shein, goes into the history books as an outstanding performer.
Meanwhile, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) is expected to distribute new voters’ cards to be used in the forthcoming election, the ZEC director Mr Thabit Idarous Faina saying that the exercise starts today.
He said: “Following the successful updating of the voters’ register, we are now distributing new voters cards to replace the ones used in the 2015 general elections. The exercise starts in Pemba for two days, and will thereafter stretch to Unguja.”
