Karume signs IDs Bill into law
 
2005-05-16 08:21:13
By Issa Yussuf, Zanzibar

	Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume.

Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume has signed into law a bill authorising Zanzibaris to be provided with identity cards.

The Secretary to the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council, Ramadhan Muombwa, said on Saturday that President Karume gave his assent to the Bill last week.

This paves the way for Zanzibaris to be provided with national identity cards before elections scheduled for later this year.

According to the law, the Zanzibar president must appoint a director who will be responsible for registering all Zanzibaris who are above 18 years of age and provide them with identity cards.

The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) strongly opposed the Bill when it was tabled in the Zanzibar House of Representatives in April, saying providing Zanzibaris with national identity cards was a waste of money and part of a wider plot to 'rig' the elections in favour of the ruling party, CCM.

The leader of the opposition in the House said it was absurd for the Zanzibar government to spend close to 5bn/- in the exercise when it was constantly complaining that it did not have enough money to organise the elections.

But the government maintained that the Bill was aimed at making it easy to identify Zanzibaris and ensure their safety as the movement of people among the three East African Community (EAC) member states of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda became easier.

All CUF representatives opposed the Bill, but it still sailed through courtesy of CCM’s massive majority in the house.

CCM has 63 representatives while CUF has only 16.

Under the new law, it is a criminal offence for any Zanzibari aged 18 and above not to register with the authorities charged with issuing the identity cards.

Violators of the law face a fine of at least 100,000/- ($92) or a one-year jail term or both.

Providing false information in order to obtain an identity card can land one in jail for six months.

The law also requires all Zanzibaris living outside Zanzibar to register with the authorities within one month of their return to the Isles.

The population of Zanzibar and its sister island of Pemba is less than one million, according to the 2002 census.

• SOURCE: Guardian