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MAINLAND
TANZANIA WAITS ON ZANZIBAR POLL FOR FINAL RESULTS Updated: 31 October 2000
by KONDWANI CHIRAMBOAND Webmaster
DAR es SALAAM - Nov.2 - Three employees of the Zanzibar Electoral
Commission (ZEC) have been arraigned before a magistrate in connection with the
disappearance of ballot papers which nullified 16 polls in Zanzibar Urban West Region
forcing a rerun of these polls on Sunday.
One of the three was a returning officer, Khalifa
Rashid Said, 45, and the other two were drivers. They were charged with illegal possession
of ballot papers and their hearing adjourned until Nov. 14. Other suspects are being
investigated.
The week-long delay in rerunning the polls has also delayed the release of official
results from the National Electoral Commission (NEC) which runs the United Republic of
Tanzania elections for President and Parliament and local government on the mainland and
the islands. It cannot release presidential results or final parliamentary results until
the rerun because the 460,000
Zanzibaris eligible to vote elect 50 MPs from the
islands and their vote for the presidency must also be counted before results are
official.
Unofficial results from mainland constituencies
indicate that the 13 opposition parties to the ruling Chama Cha Mapunduzi (CCM) have done
much worse than expected, holding only nine of 177 mainland seats so far. Elections in
three
constituencies have been postponed for various reasons, including the deaths of two
candidates, while unofficial results from two constituencies are not yet available. The
mainland has 182 elected MPs.
On the basis of these unofficial results obtained from polling stations and constituency
offices, it appears the ruling party now has 166 seats, regaining 10 of 19 seats taken by
opposition parties 1995. In the last Parliament of 232
elected seats, the mainland opposition parties held 19 seats and the Civic United Party
(CUF) from Zanzibar held 24 of the elected 50 Isles seats.
Among the opposition parties, the National Convention for Construction and Reform Party
(NCCR-Maguez) has lost all 13 seats it held in 1995 and its former leader Augustine Mrema
who switched to the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP) this
year has lost his bid for the presidency. TLP itself appears to have won two seats while
Chama Cha Demokrasia Maendeleo (CHADEMA), which was running in some constituencies in
partnership with CUF, has increased its MPs to four from two
in 1995. CUF, which was winless in 1995, has gained two mainland seats, both in Dar es
Salaam. The United Democratic Party (UDP) has
one.
Parliament is made up of 232 elected MPs (182 from the mainland and 50 from Zanzibar); 37
special seats for women (not less than
20 percent of all MPs), five MPS elected by the Zanzibar House of Representatives, 10 MPs
nominated by the President and the attorney-general for a total of not less than 296
members.
Many Tanzanians are expressing frustration at the delays caused by the re-run of the
Zanzibar polls, the results of which are expected next Tuesday.
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) observer
mission of 13 members, had high praise for the NEC's running of the mainland election but
expressed disappointment in the handling of the Zanzibar poll. Signed by its team leader,
Alex Ekwueme, a former Nigerian vice-president, the OAU said the polling officials had
been well-trained and competent, election materials were adequate and "and impressive
pattern of co-operation and comradeship between party
representatives and polling officials."
The statement, released late yesterday, commended the NEC for its efficient management of
the elections and congratulated
Tanzanians on all aspects of the elections, including the voting and counting.
"On the basis of our observers' reports, the OAU is able to conclude that the
Tanzanian elections 2000 were generally peaceful, freely conducted,
transparent, credible and representative of popular opinion."
The observer mission expressed "deep regret" that despite assurances, ZEC was
"unable or unwilling to conduct the elections in Zanzibar in an efficient manner.
Ekwueme said the mission regretted that it could not endorse the Zanzibar elections as
have been "free and peacefully conducted and representative of public opinion."
(SARDC)
This article can be reproduced with credit to SARDC and the author
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC)
P O Box 5690, Harare Zimbabwe
Tel: (2634) 738694-6 Fax: 738693
Email: sardc@sardc.net
Website: www.sardc.net/sd/elections2000
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