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Shamhuna dismisses ’fresh elections rumour...
2006-03-14 08:25:08
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
There will be no fresh elections in Zanzibar till 2010, the government has announced.
Deputy Chief Minister Ali Juma Shamuhuna said yesterday during a public rally at Mkwajuni grounds in Unguja North region that rumours circulating on the Isles about impending fresh elections are ’baseless.’
Shamhuna made the remarks when he spoke at a public rally to celebrate the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) victory in last year’s general election.
He blamed Civic United Front (CUF) for propagating the rumour that the Isles another general election was in the offing.
He termed the rumour as a CUF propaganda designed to cause despondency on the Islands.
He told Islanders to work hard for the development of the country instead of wasting time discussing last elections results, which he sad are already a bygone issue.
He stressed that the current government is legitimate ”and that is why donor countries have continued to support it.”
He said President Amani Abeid Karume is recognised by the international community, contrary to the falsehoods being spread by the Opposition that he would b e subjected to another election soon.
Shamhuna was reacting to CUF secretary-general Seif Shariff Hamad’s call to Islanders to prepare for fresh elections.
When Hamad addressed a public rally at Kikwajuni on Saturday, he told party supporters to be ready for fresh elections.
He said last year’s elections were rigged and that Karume’s government had lost credibility among the international community.
Since the results of the bitterly contested October 30 general election were announced, CUF has refused to recognise President Karume’s government, accusing him of rigging the polls.
The party maintains that Karume’s presidency is illegitimate.
The verbal confrontation between the two parties comes hardly a week after President Kikwete directed the Minister for Union Affairs, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, to solve with speed and thrash out issues that threaten the Union.
Last weekend’s exchanges between Shamhuna and Hamad make the task ahead of Dr Mwinyi even more daunting.
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