Author: MASATO MASATO
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THREE Zanzibar presidential aspirants picked nomination forms here on Thursday, bringing to five the total number of contestants seeking occupancy of the prestigious Vugabased office.
African Democratic Alliance Party’s (ADA-TADEA) flag bearer Juma Ali Khatib arrived at the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices at 10:00am and collected the papers ahead of National League for Democracy’s (NLD) Mfaume Khamis who arrived at 11am.
Zanzibar Minister for Health Hamad Rashid Mohamed also visited Maisara-based ZEC offices at ‘COVIDOL herbal cure against virus is safe’ pg5 noon to register his intention for the presidency on an Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) ticket.
Already, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) flag bearer Dr Hussein Mwinyi and his Alliance for African Farmers Party (AAFP) counterpart Said Soud Said picked their nomination documents on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters shortly after collecting the forms, the ADATADEA candidate said should Zanzibaris endorse him for the country’s top job, he would manage and sustain huge development projects, which outgoing President Dr Ali Mohamed Shein initiated.
He cited construction of a modern port, Pemba airport and residential houses as his priority projects. He further pledged formation of a national unity government through involvement of other political parties in compliance with the country constitution.
The flag bearer said ADATADEA would enter the presidential race on the “society equality” slogan, which focuses on provision of social services, especially education and healthcare, to all citizens.
Mr Ali pledged his willingness to accept the poll outcomes, saying it was the discretion of voters to decide on their most preferred leader, advising all contestants to conduct decent and peaceful campaigns.
The NLD candidate said should Zanzibaris elect him, his top priority would be exhaustive use of the country’s youth for the country’s social and economic development.
He said his administration would cherish and preserve peace because, “there is no alternative to peace.”
Mr Hamad promised to stand for the rights of all wananchi and ensuring that every citizen has free access to available social and economic opportunities in the country.
He said although the country has attained middle-economic status, many people don’t seem to have grasped the feat and ADC’s responsibility will be to transform the economic status into prosperous lives amongst Zanzibaris.
Before presenting the nomination forms to aspirants, ZEC Chairman Chief Justice (Retired) Hamid Mahmoud Hamid implored all candidates to observe and adhere to the 2020 general election codes of conduct and abstain from any corrupt practices.
Meanwhile, CCM’s Special Committee of the National Executive Council’s (NEC) yesterday discussed more than 150 names of candidates who picked the forms seeking the party’s nomination to vie for the posts of Members of House of Representatives and Special seats in the upcoming general elections scheduled for October 28, 2020.
The Party’s Vice Chairman, who doubles as Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, presided over the meeting held at the party’s Kisiwandui office where members of the committee discussed and graded the applicants according to their (Zanzibar) preference for the flag bearer.
Zanzibar has 50 constituencies and also special seats for women and people with disability.
The list of the discussed CCM applicants will be submitted to the party’s Central Committee (CC) slated to hold its meeting in Dodoma on August 30, this year to endorse and announce the chosen ones.
CCM’s special committee- Zanzibar secretary, publicity and ideology secretary Ms Catherine Peter, said in the statement :”Today (yesterday)’s meeting is for one day. Applicants for the position should be patient as we finalise the screening process.”
Union Vice-President and the approved running-mate for the Union presidency, Ms Samia Suhulu Hassan, Second Vice- President Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi, and the Deputy Secretary General (Zanzibar) Dr Abdallah Juma Sadala are among the CCM special committee who attended the meeting.
