Zanzibaris want fair election
2005-10-27 18:16
Zanzibar - The main opposition's leader warned on Thursday that the overwhelmingly Muslim Tanzanian archipelago faces a "real threat" from radical Islam if weekend elections are not free and fair.
Presidential hopeful Seif Shariff Hamad said Zanzibar's one million people were increasingly frustrated by ruling party election cheating and might lose hope in the democratic process if Sunday's vote is marred by fraud or violence.
"We had two robbed elections," he said, referring to disputed polls in 1995 and 2000 that he and his Civic United Front (CUF) claim they lost because of massive cheating by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM-Revolutionary Party).
"Zanzibaris have been demanding change through the ballot boxes two times, they have been denied their rights," Hamad told reporters at a news conference. "There are some radical people who say that democracy can't work here."
"There is a danger, a risk that some people" could be tempted by radical Islam, he said. "This threat is real ... especially among the poor. The youth may be also easily influenced."
An estimated 97 to 99% of Zanzibaris are Muslims.
Hamad, who predicted that CUF would win Sunday's polls by between 58 and 62%, also said the exercise would likely be marred by irregularities stemming from the voters' list.
"Up to now, we have not been given the voters list," he said. "The ZEC (Zanzibar Electoral Commission) says tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes," he said.
He also accused the state media of being biased against the opposition and called on the British and United States governments to ensure the elections are democratic.
A total of 507 225 voters in Zanzibar are eligible for Sunday's exercise to elect a new president and parliament.