The residents of Zanzibar were forced to stay inside of their homes yesterday as Civic United Front (CUF) supporters engaged police in running battles following the announcement by the party’s presidential candidate that he had won the Sunday polls.
Seif Shariff Hamad who is also CUF Secretary General announced in the morning that he had secured 200,077 votes and came ahead of the incumbent President Dr Ali Mohamed Shein with 1,733 more votes.
He called upon the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) to declare the results without delay, adding that his figures were based on the electoral body’s official result forms he received from CUF agents all over the Isles.
Soon after the announcement, the town burst into ululations and celebratory chants, forcing Police to respond with tear gas canisters and pepper spray in a bid to keep people out of the streets.
The cheerful supporters had almost immediately responded to Hamad’s announcement by thronging the streets with songs of victory, calling for ZEC to declare the candidate the winner.
The ensuing battle started at Mlandege and the normally busiest place in the island, Darajani whereby supporters had began to hurl stones at the police vehicles.
The ensuing battle started at Mlandege and the normally busiest place in the island, Darajani whereby supporters had began to hurl stones at the police vehicles.
The supporters said they knew that they had won the race insisting that they have been extremely patient for years and it would be undemocratic for anyone to attempt to deny them victory.
They explained that delaying to announce the results could fuel chaos, saying that the government was trying to rig results of the election.
The police had to fire tear gas in a move to disperse them from staging illegal demonstration but the supporters disobeyed the police's announcement and continued with their plans.
Some of the roads were closed as armed police in uniform and plan clothes driving around in parts of the Stone Town to contain the angry mobs.
Police had to call for support as the crowd kept swelling whereby a number of vehicles packed with armed policemen arrived at the scene.
Six people were reported shot by the police. However, police had refutes the claims , saying would give more details afterwards.
"I have no information on the matter but I promise that the Police will let you know of any incidents,"said Mjini Magharibi Regional Police Commander Mkadam Khamis Mkadam.
However, CUF supporters in their party’s colours in Chake Chake, Pemba also took to the streets celebrating the alleged victory.
According to them, they did not care about the police tear-gas canisters as all they wanted was for the ZEC to declare Hamad the Isles’ president
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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