CCM hints at cutting off CUF from next government in Isles

CCM in Zanzibar yesterday said it will form a government of national unity (GNU) “according to the constitution,” a hint that President-elect Ali Mohamed Shein may not accommodate opposition parties in the next dispensation. 

 

In the Sunday poll re-run none of the opposition parties obtained the required minimum percentage for Shein to form a Grand Coalition government.

 

Under Zanzibar’s constitution, a political party must win at least 10 per cent of the popular vote to be part of a Grand Coalition cabinet.

 

Dr Shein was announced the winner with 91.4 per cent of the valid votes cast while his fierce rival Seif Shariff Hamad and his party, the Civic United Front (CUF), boycotted the contested poll re-run.Other parties which took part in the uncompetitive election such as the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) party got a measly 3 per cent of the votes.

 

Briefing newsmen on the matter in Kisiwandui area, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity secretary, Waridi Bakari Jabu, said his party will form its government in accordance to both the Isles and Mainland constitutions. 

 

She insisted that CCM would see how best it would form the government, saying all laws and regulations would be followed accordingly. 

 

“I really don’t want to talk further on this issue, but we have to wait and see how things turn out,” she said.

 

Jabu applauded the re-elected president Ali Mohamed Shein for emerging victorious in the poll re-run on Sunday.

 

She said Dr Shein’s win had shown that Zanzibaris still had confidence and hopes that CCM was the only political party in the isles that could bring real development. “Party members would like to applaud Dr Shein for being re-elected as the Isles president for another term,” she said.

 

On Monday, The Guardian asked CCM’s deputy secretary general Vuai Ali Vuai about the current state of affairs after the latest election re-run results and he replied that it was up to the president-elect to decide whether to continue with a coalition government system or not.

 

 “No one can force President Shein to continue with the current set-up because CCM won with an overwhelming majority. He will make up his own mind about how necessary it might be to restore the unity government,” Vuai said.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN