Pundits, politicians react to Mwinyi choice for Z’bar polls

Dar es Salaam. Political stakeholders yesterday gave their views on the Zanzibar polls soon after CCM declared Dr Hussein Mwinyi as the party’s flag bearer for the Isles’ top office.

ACT-Wazalendo - whose flag carrier is MaalimSeif Sharif Hamad - told The Citizen that the elections would be smooth for them. This is if only because they know the strengths and weaknesses of the CCM candidate.

However, Prof GaudensMpangala of Ruaha Catholic University (Rucu) begged to differ with Hamad’s sentiments, saying the election would be tough. He argued that Maalim and Mwinyi match each other in the presidential stakes.

Prof Mpangala said that, while DrMwinyi has a good leadership record as Defence minister, MrSeif posed stiff competition to CCM in the last General Election.

To him, DrMwinyi was the best of all the 31 CCM cadres who showed intention to vie for presidency on the ticket of the ruling party.

“The competition will be tough especially between Seif and DrMwinyi,” he said, insisting that he knew politics of Zanzibar as he had for some years since the year 2000 been election observer for Pemba and Unguja.

He called for free and fair elections so that the results could reflect the voters’ decision.

“Citizens should be the last decision makers - and their decision should be accepted and respected,” Prof Mpangala pontificated. ACT’s secretary general Ado Shaibu seemed to have read from the same script, saying the polls must reflect the will of the people.

“Both Electoral Commissions should ensure a free, fair, transparent and credible elections in the interest of maintaining the peace that we have,” counseled MrShaibu.

Noting that they had higher expectations to win the October elections, he said his party would not be ready to tolerate any irregularities.

“We are well prepared and ready to face the ruling party,” said MrShaibu.

“We’ve all it takes to win the October General Election. “We know DrMwinyi’s strengths, weaknesses - and his political convincing power.”

A Political Science lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Richard Mbunda, was not surprised by the nomination of DrMwinyi as a presidential runner on a ticket of CCM.

“I am not surprised… He is among people we were expecting,” he told The Citizen over the phone.

DrMwinyi was yesterday picked by the CCM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to represent the party as the presidential candidate in the upcoming general election.

This came after he beat the other candidates hands down: ShamsiVuaiNahodha and Khalid Salum Mohamed.