Free, fair elections 'unlikely'

2005-10-28 15:53

Zanzibar - Zanzibar's main opposition leader says he has the support of more than half the voters, but thinks weekend presidential and legislative elections will not be free and fair.

The Zanzibar Election Commission had failed to enforce electoral rules and the government was using the security forces and an informal militia to intimidate voters, said Seif Shariff Hamad, who is the Civic United Front's candidate for the Zanzibari presidency. The commission chief, though, said problems had been addressed and the voting would be fair.

The elections are scheduled for Sunday. There have been no reliable polls done in Zanzibar to determine who might be leading.

Tanzania's elections postponed

As he spoke to reporters on Thursday, two armoured personnel carriers and dozens of soldiers were disembarking at the island's main port. Semi-autonomous Zanzibar has its own president and legislature, but is part of Tanzania and security forces come under a national command.

Presidential and legislative elections also had been scheduled in mainland Tanzania on Sunday, but the National Electoral Commission chairperson said on Thursday Tanzania's presidential election has been postponed because of the death of one of the vice-presidential candidates. Zanzibari officials said they did not expect their presidential and legislative votes to be affected.

The last general elections in Zanzibar in 2000 were declared seriously flawed by international observers and this year's electoral process has already been marred by violence and rising militancy among supporters of both CUF and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, which is currently in power both in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.

Steps taken to avoid hiccups

"I don't think these elections will be free and fair," Hamad said. He said the ruling party has been training an informal militia to disrupt the voting and to rig the results.

Hamis Ali Ame, Zanzibar's director of elections, said the commission has addressed all the parties concerns and "we are confident the election will be free and fair".

Ame said steps have been taken to avoid past problems, including guaranteeing a secret ballot and recruiting the army to deliver and pick up ballot materials. Party agents will be allowed to escort the materials and vote counting will take place in local polling stations, he added.

The Zanzibar Election Commission announced on Wednesday that more than 500 000 voters were expected to participate in weekend elections and more than 2 000 fraudulent names were stricken off the roles.

The voter's register has been a topic of heated debate, with both the ruling party and the opposition accusing the other of trying to bolster their numbers.

Hamad complained on Thursday that the commission had still not made the final voter's register available to his party for inspection. He also accused the ruling party militia of driving through opposition strongholds at night and threatening people.

- AP