CUF Zanzibar presidential candidates Seif Shariff Hamad addresses election compaign rally at Kibanda Maiti in Zanzibar yesterday. (Photo: Guardian Correspondent)
Civic United Front’s Zanzibar presidential candidate, Seif Shariff Hamad, launched his election campaigns here yesterday saying it was crucial that the Isles’ autonomy in the Union setting be “reinstated”.
Hamad, who doubles as the opposition party’s Secretary General, also promised to address youth unemployment and boost the Zanzibar economy through improved infrastructure networks.
Speaking from Kibanda Maiti grounds, he said time had come for Zanzibar “to regain its autonomous as a fully fledged government within the United Republic of Tanzania”.
He said Zanzibaris sought a contractual Union between mainland Tanzania and the Isles in the proposed constitution drafted by the commission chaired by Judge (retired) Joseph Sinde Warioba, “but, unfortunately the ruling CCM killed off the draft and buried the people’s dream”.
“Chadema’s Union presidential candidate Edward Lowassa and I will make sure that the people’s views submitted by the Warioba Commission are respected and implemented,” declared Hamad, adding: “We will make sure that a three-tier government is in place during our administration,” he said at the election campaign rally.
Hamad, who is also outgoing First Vice President in Zanzibar’s Government of National Unity, declared that the government he would form if elected Isles President would place a premium on “proper good governance ensuring a government that respects the rule of law”.
He said he found it strange that Zanzibar-based sheikh accused of terrorism were arrested and prosecuted in Dar es Salaam, “regardless of the fact that Zanzibar has its own High Court with similar powers to courts in the country’s commercial capital (Dar es Salaam)”.
“During my tenure as Zanzibar president, I will ensure that those sheikhs are re-prosecuted here (in Zanzibar)… We want to see a government that respects people’s integrity,” he said in his 15-minute speech.
The Ukawa-endorsed Zanzibar presidential candidate said he would also focus on making Zanzibar the ‘East African Community sub-region’s Singapore’ with equal capacity to export commodities across the region”.
He said for the five years of he would be in power if elected, he would bring youth unemployment to an end.
He declared that he would also address “pending issues”, including proceeds from oil and gas, by introducing a fully fledged Zanzibar ministry responsible for energy “that would adopt a Zanzibar oil and gas policy within the first 100 days of our assuming power”.
His efforts would also focus on the setting up of a Zanzibar Investment Bank to offer soft loans to youth and women to re-develop their business projects, he said.
Chadema’s Union presidential candidate Lowassa, who attended the event, said Ukawa (Coalition of People’s Constitution – which brings together his party as well as Civic United Front, NCCR-Mageuzi and National League for Democracy), would religiously abide by election regulations.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
