CUF to stage demonstrations in Pemba

Secretary General Seif Shariff Hamad

The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) in Pemba yesterday said it intends to conduct peaceful demonstration to back the report issued by the party’s Secretary General Seif Sharrif Hamad earlier this week condemning nullification of the Isle’s General Election results.

 

The announcement was made by CUF secretary for Chakechake district Salehe Nassor Juma at a meeting with contestants for House of Representatives seats, district chairpersons and secretaries and members of the party’s national leadership council in Pemba.

 

Juma said they have already submitted a letter to Chakechake Officer Commanding District (OCD) informing him that the demonstration is to be held this Sunday and will start from Chanjani and proceed to Kibirizi.

 

He said the peaceful demonstrations are to show support for the report delivered by their Secretary General and what he described as ‘Sharrif’s efforts to fight for the democratic right of Zanzibaris.’Secondly, Juma said the party intends to prosecute the ZEC chairman for nullification of the election results is contrary to the laws. He said his party intends to file the petition with the International Criminal Court.

“This is because ZEC’s decision may cause chaos and breach of peace in Zanzibar,” he said.

 

On his part, the Micheweni district chairman Rashid khalid Salim   said the party has been quiet for a long time but now they see the need to speak up for their rights.

 

On Monday this week, the Civic United Front Secretary General Seif Shariff Hamad declared that a repeat of the Zanzibar presidential election was not an option for the opposition party.

 

He told the media in Dar es Salaam that the idea of a re-election is baseless, lacks legal basis and intends to throw the Isles under an unconstitutional leadership. 

 

Hamad, who sought the Zanzibar presidency during the October 2015 General Election as a CUF candidate and was Zanzibar’s First Vice President, said buying the re-run proposal could lead to chaos and confusion as well as a constitutional and legal crisis.

 

He said CCM has been pushing for re-election after the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC) controversially declared the earlier poll null and void ‘simply because it (CCM) wants to protect its political interests after having lost in October’ he said.

 

He said the suggestion to go for a re-run is untenable because the decision to nullify the October 25 election lacks legal grounds.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN